National Guard Memorial Project Tribute to our Fallen www.nationalguardmemorial.org Presented by Mary Keeser Founder, America s Adopt A Soldier Mary.Keeser@americasadoptasoldier.org 7034059956
AGENDA Introduction The Idea Purpose Concept Draft Design Next Steps/ COA Questions Background
The Idea Assisting in the shaping of the theme for our National Guard Army 10 Miler 2010 Teams --Resilience Tribute to Our Fallen Running in Their Honor The thought occurred to me the morning of 7 May 2010; we don t currently have a Memorial paying tribute to our Fallen National Guard Men and Women. I sketched the design concept on doodle pad at Marriott hotel in Orlando FL and began the journey of giving our Fallen a Face and those they left behind a Voice.
PURPOSE Socialized and have gained support for the concept, purpose, design and execution methodologies for the National Guard Memorial Project Within 45 days of conceiving the idea (7 May 2010) all TAGS, NGB Joint, ANG, ARNG, and NGAUS, Senior Leaders were briefed and in 100% support. As of 19 August 2011 the following have been briefed: National Guard Bureau and Joint Senior Leadership Senior Enlisted, Warrant Officer and Officer Leadership of ARNG, ANG, Leadership of NGAUS and EANGUS All Members of AGAUS (TAGS) All NGB Senior Enlisted Leader (at EANGUS) Past Senior Leadership of National Guard FEEDBACK : 100% SUPPORT
CONCEPT Living Memorial in Honor of our Fallen National Guard Our Fallen have a Face (Story) Each of our fallen are unique and should be remembered as part of their State, community and family. We have the opportunity to pay tribute beyond a name on a plaque National Guard and family need to be afforded the opportunity to pay tribute to the fallen We can be the first to honor our fallen with family Inclusion honoring their sacrifice
. CONCEPT (con t) Living Memorial in Honor of our Fallen National Guard Central Location The National Guard is the Steward Interface the data through GKO All 54 will feed standard data to Memorial DB Each 54 will be able to display their specific Memorial (LCD screen central location)
Draft Design You have the choice of typing the person s name into a Kiosk (located to the side) or touching the State (same screen appears). The inside wall is a large computer touch screen showing a large map image of the 54 Bench enabling time, space and privacy to pay Tribute
Draft Design Honoring Our Fallen or In Honor of our National Guard Who Have Given All Army National Guard unit insignias State Seals State Seals Air National Guard unit insignias Estimate ($800k) was obtained as a reference only from the firm who built the 9/11 memorial in the Pentagon
Interactive Living Screen
Interactive Living Screen Screen 1 - Map of the 54 Interactive Screen Screen 2 - NGB Leadership Introduction Video Screen 3 - State / Territory / D.C. Video Screen 4 - Unit / Wing Leadership Video Screen 5 - Face of Our Fallen Picture SCREEN 6 Voice of Those Left Behind Video(s)
Screen 1 Interactive Map of the 54
Chief, National Guard Bureau Senior Enlisted Leader, National Guard Bureau SCREEN 2 (VIDEOS) An introduction by the National Guard Senior Leadership Chief, National Guard Bureau, Senior Enlisted Leader, National Guard Bureau Discuss the National Guard mission-units, paying tribute to our Fallen 2-3min video
SCREEN 3 (VIDEO) An introduction by the State TAG Discuss mission-units, paying tribute to the sacrifices our Soldiers and Airman have made the ultimate sacrifice 2-3min Video
Screen 4 (VIDEO) A list of the States (Unit) fallen will appear, one touch to the name will bring up the Unit or Flight / Wing Commander, who will discuss the Unit/ Mission and tribute to the fallen 2-3min video
Screen 5 Picture of the fallen with description of the incident and bio (all this is public and already available - owned a saw mill, worked at the local Y.). The first woman ever promoted to command sergeant major in the Iowa Army National Guard was killed in a helicopter crash last week in Iraq, Guard officials confirmed Wednesday. Marilyn L. Gabbard, 46, of Polk City died when a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter went down on Saturday northeast of Baghdad. All 12 soldiers aboard were killed, military officials said. Gabbard had enlisted as a private in the fall of 1979, the year she graduated from Boone High School. She spent the past 27 years in the Guard and had been a full-time member of the headquarters staff at Camp Dodge in Johnston. Her death was announced at an emotional media briefing at Camp Dodge that was attended by about 80 soldiers, some of whom had tears in their eyes. Many of them had shaken hands with Gabbard and wished her good luck in mid- December when she left Iowa en route to a six-month tour of Iraq to monitor the welfare of Guard troops and help resolve their problems. Her husband, Edward, is a retired Iowa National Guard soldier. "She was very wellrespected," State Command Sgt. Maj. Doyle Norris said. "She was one of the most giving persons of her time and talent." Gabbard was promoted to command sergeant major on April 1, 2001, and was the first woman to hold that rank in the Iowa Army National Guard. A command sergeant major is the senior enlisted adviser to a commanding officer in a unit of battalion size or larger. One of the chief responsibilities is to be an advocate for lower-ranking enlisted soldiers. Gabbard had also been national secretary of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, and was a leader in Iowa military associations. Sgt. Maj. Renee Blodgett said Gabbard was a role model for other women in the Iowa National Guard, and her rise through the enlisted ranks was inspirational. "She was going to places where other women can now go," Blodgett said. Gabbard was the only Iowan aboard the UH-60 helicopter that crashed. She had been the noncommissioned officer in charge of a National Guard Affairs Team. The other 11 soldiers killed included nine soldiers from Guard units in Arkansas, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Iraqi officials have said the helicopter was shot down by insurgents in a Sunni area, according to news service reports, but Iowa National Guard officials said Wednesday the crash remains under investigation and a cause has not been determined. Gabbard is believed to have been the first female member of the Iowa National Guard to die in a combat zone, said Lt. Col. Gregory Hapgood Jr., the Guard's public affairs officer. She was the 50th person with Iowa ties to have died in Iraq or Afghanistan since March 2003, and she was the second woman from Iowa to have been killed in Iraq. Navy Petty Officer Jaime Jaenke, 29, of Iowa Falls died in June when a roadside bomb exploded near her Humvee in Anbar province. Col. Ron Randazzo, the strategic planning officer at Camp Dodge, said Gabbard's death was difficult because she had been so well known by soldiers at headquarters. "We have had these before, but this brings it right here, right to Des Moines, Iowa," Randazzo said. Lee Booten, a Vietnam veteran and an adjutant of American Legion Post 232 in Polk City, said Gabbard and her husband were members of the post. "She was a hard worker and she cared about the troops. She was a terrific lady," he said. Gabbard had been expected to return to Iowa in early summer, and she had planned to resume her regular assignment at Camp Dodge. She will be deeply missed, Hapgood said. "In her particular case, it's not so much a case of rank, but who she was," he said. "She always put her soldiers first." Funeral arrangements are pending. Gabbard was the daughter of Melvin and Mary Van Cannon of Boone. Besides her husband, survivors include an adult daughter, a stepson, five stepdaughters, her mother, a sister, two brothers and other relatives.
She touched so many people in so many different areas of our organization, he said. As the first woman promoted to her rank, Gabbard was in a position to serve as a role model to other woman soldiers in particular, Hapgood said, but Gabbard never saw herself as a trail blazer, just a soldier and a leader. She didn t take it as a burden, Hapgood said. She embraced the fact that she had gone places other people hadn t gone before. I think she relished having soldiers look up to her. Screen 6 (VIDEO S) Voice of Those Left Behind Several 1-2min videos provided by the Family to Honor their Fallen
Draft Location COA s Not Rank Ordered ONLY DRAFT COA S Any and all COA s require approval from Senior Leadership Arlington Hall Station I,II,III NGAUS Building Incorporate into Design Incorporate into the current or future designs Will tie-in buildings Interface the data through GKO (GuardNet) The 54 will be integrated at Memorial Location Access to Guard members and families Active / Retired Enabling Transportation provided Incorporate into Family Programs at all 54 National Guard is the Steward Funding All Federal or Federal / Private, using the 9/11 memorial as model) OTHER LOCATIONS? Arlington Cemetery Women's Memorial Briefed President of Board, General Vaught and her staff. Doesn t fall within their mission set, will fully support and assist. PEC Pentagon Other? Incorporate into Museum footprint Central Location All National Guard assigned to NCR or Visiting (School, Meetings, Vacations) Enabling Transportation to be provided from both Air and Army National Guard Readiness Centers (Arlington Hall Station) Officer and NCO Professional Development POI developed to include historical briefing and tour of the Museum. The history of our National Guard is displayed in such a manner as to guide the briefer /instructor, POI developed to follow this layout. (the National Guard Memorial will be integrated into this flow) The National Guard is the Steward Interface the data through J1 or J3/J7 Funding Private (Construction -data model and maint) Federal (Officer and NCO Professional development and transportation). Grant and or Contract Funding source and funding continuity concerns were expressed by NGAUS during inbriefing
q Assign NGB Staff Project Lead q Senior National Guard Leadership select COA q One pager to Members of Congress who are Veterans many have expressed interest (27 members goal of drafting and submitting bill) q One pager to Veterans Affairs Committee (briefing) q Continue to Socialize Next Steps q Continue to brief appropriate Leadership and Stakeholders q Further refine the design - cost estimate/funding,
Questions? www.nationalguardmemorial.org Giving A Face to Our Fallen and a Voice to Those Left Behind