ArmedForces.com

Lt. Col. Blair Kaiser assumed command of the 30th Airlift Squadron in a ceremony June 1, at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base theatre.

The 30th Airlift Squadron is the Air Force's first-ever active duty combat airlift associate unit, integrating all operations, maintenance and support functions with the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing. As the 30th Airlift Squadron commander, Kaiser will serve as the commander in charge of a 200-person squadron tasked with providing worldwide C-130 combat aerial delivery, maintenance and support.
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Diversity is a term we hear frequently in the military. We are encouraged to recognize the contributions of all individuals, from all cultures, that make up the military's uniquely diverse landscape.

For the Wyoming Air National Guard, Tech. Sgt. Iris Honrado, production recruiter, exemplifies diversity in the work place. Her contributions to developing cultural awareness in the military and specifically the Wyoming ANG were recently recognized by the Federal Asian-Pacific American Council, during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
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The Wyoming National Guard's 84th Civil Support Team, which responds to calls of potential weapons of mass destruction, was identified as being in the top one percent of the nation's civil support teams.

The 84th's abilities were evaluated on a base and in environments that simulate how it would respond to a community's request for assistance.

In an external evaluation, the unit successfully completed 570 of 579 tasks, scoring a 98.5 percent rating, which was the best score for Civil Support Team Region 6. The region includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
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National honors were bestowed upon two members of the Wyoming Air National Guard's 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron recently.

The Air National Guard awards recognize achievements among all 54 states and territories.

Master Sgt. Benjamin Kaufman, 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron Radar Approach Control chief controller, was selected as the Air National Guard's 2012 Air Traffic Control Manager of the Year.

This award is given to an air traffic control manager who has contributed to an outstanding degree through their services, ideas, developments or accomplishments in air traffic control. Kaufman was instrumental in the deployment of the new Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System-Local Integrated Terminal Equipment Radar for the Cheyenne Regional Airport, the first system of its kind to be used in the U.S. Air Force.
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Lt. Col. Christopher Smith was recently appointed as the new Wyoming Military Department Joint Advocate General, at Joint Force Headquarters, in Cheyenne.

Smith will advise the adjutant general and the director of the joint staff on all domestic support issues to civilian authorities. Smith will assume this position immediately while still continuing to be a full-time attorney at the Wyoming Air National Guard.

"I hope to continue the strong legacy set by my predecessors of providing timely, accurate legal advice and counsel. I will pursue assisting the department in any way I can as chief legal counsel to meet its mission of generating ready forces to safeguard Wyoming and protect our nation while adding value to our communities," he said.
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The 302nd Airlift Wing's Public Affairs office received top honors in two categories of the Air Force Reserve Command's 2012 Communication Excellence Awards program.

The Reserve public affairs office was recognized by the Air Force's second largest major command with the Best Crisis Communication Award for the office's June 2012 communications response to the Waldo Canyon fire and the resulting Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System activation and Ms. Ann Skarban, Chief of 302nd AW public affairs, was named Outstanding Communication Intermediate Civilian, Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs for 2012.
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Air traffic control isn't for the faint of heart. But for the Airmen of the 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron, keeping an eye on the sky isn't just a job, it's a passion.

"Folks that do this job have to have a passion about it," said Maj. Pedro Rampolla, chief of Air Traffic Control Operations. "If it's a bad stress you probably don't want to do this job."

Tasked with enormous responsibilities, some might buckle under pressure, but the challenge and love for the job drives these Airmen to be the best.
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Members of the Wyoming National Guard were recognized for their outstanding service during 2012, at a formal banquet Saturday night.

"It's always an honor to recognize the outstanding achievements of our Wyoming Airmen and Soldiers," said Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner, Wyoming's Adjutant General. "These selfless men and women uphold the core values of the Wyoming Air and Army National Guard, always maintaining the ideals of people first and mission always."

The following individuals were recognized for their leadership, military bearing, knowledge of military customs, community service and personal achievements.
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Lt. Gen. Darren W. McDew, 18th Air Force commander, met and spoke with Airmen of the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, during a visit here Dec. 17-18.

"The first thing I want to say to you is thank you very much," McDew said at an all call during his visit. "At some point in your life you made a decision to do what you're doing. I don't care why you made the decision; I don't even care why you continue to do what you do. The fact that you do it is significant," he said.
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"Expect the unexpected." To some that is just a catchy saying, but for the airmen of the 153rd Security Forces Squadron it's more a way of life.

Over the years, active shooter incidents at Columbine High School, Colo., Virginia Tech, Va., Fort Hood, Texas and the theater in Aurora, Colo., have made the need for prevention and preparedness essential to saving lives and ensuring mission success.

Master Sgt. Matthew Wombaker and Tech. Sgt. Adam Coulon, 153 SFS, recently traveled to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where they attended a 10-day training course, specializing in active shooter training. This course provided Wombaker and Coulon the knowledge they needed to train the members of the 153 SFS for the worst-case scenario.
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The Wyoming National Guard's 84th Civil Support Team recently hosted a Staff Evaluation Assistance Team from National Guard Bureau. They received an overall rating of 97 percent and, as a result, will not be evaluated again for 24 months.

The areas specifically evaluated were: budget, communications, logistics, medical, personnel, safety, physical security and training.

"What is great is that every person in the unit made a contribution and had a role in our overall success," said Maj. Holly Shenefelt, 84 CST acting commander.
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The Wyoming National Guard's Cowboy ChalleNGe Academy, previously known as the Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe Program, designed to help high school dropouts get their lives back on track, still has openings for students in its next class, Oct. 7, at the program's campus, on the Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center.

The ChalleNGe program provides troubled teens with a regimented 5 1/2 month in-residence program, helping them to reclaim their lives and develop the skills they need to be successful. Core components of the program include academics, citizenship, life-coping skills, civic service, leadership and physical fitness.
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The Wyoming National Guard can add another Latina Style Meritorious Service Award recipient to its ranks, one who exemplifies the following characteristics:

· A service member who embodies the qualities at the core of the service's mission
· A person well respected by their superiors and peers as leaders and upstanding service members
· A person who displays exceptional character and treats the Hispanic community with dignity and pride

These are qualities Wyoming Air National Guard's Maj. Nicole Chavez embodies and was nationally recognized for during the 9th Annual Latina Symposium in Washington, D.C., Sept. 6.
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