MAGAZINE OF THE OHIO NATIONAL GUARD ~ Vol. 36, No. 3
Celebrating 25 Years Together with Hungary
Volume 36, No. 3 May/June 2018
Mission is personal for Ohio National Guard Airman
FOCUS ON HISTORY LINEAGE LINKUP A closer look into the origins and lineage of the Ohio National Guard’s 1191st Engineer Company, which originated in 1921 in Portsmouth, Ohio, where it remains today. HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT In June 1918, the 37th Division, less artillery and trains, arrived in France to begin training for frontline service as part of the American Expeditionary Forces for World War I.
Ohio celebrates the 25th anniversary of its partnership with Hungary this year through the State Partnership Program. A quarter century and more than 300 combined exchanges later, the partnership is still going strong, poised for another 25 years of working and training together. READ STORY
The Miracle on
THE OHIO NATIONAL GUARD
TASK FORCE
LEADERSHIP MESSAGE Maj. Gen. Bartman reminisces about his experiences during the Ohio National Guard’s 25-year partnership with Hungary through the State Partnership Program, saying it “is a friendship and a family” — one where the partners will always be there for each other when needed.
The Ohio National Guard is an organization that respects, values and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that define every Soldier, Airman and civilian member. Our strength lies in our diversity. This issue recognizes:
RETENTION REPORT Know someone interested in joining the Ohio Army National Guard? Refer eligible applicants through the Ohio National Guard mobile app and earn promotions, promotional items and awards if those applicants enlist.
Staff Sgt. Alicia Stayonovich, with the Ohio Counterdrug Task Force, tracks drug trafficking patterns in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She takes a personal interest in helping remove drugs from the street as it has had a direct, tragic effect on her family. READ STORY
Commander in Chief Gov. John Kasich Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman Director, Government and Public Affairs Maj. Matthew J. France Public Affairs Officer (Federal) Capt. Jordyn Sadowski Public Information Officer (State) Ms. Stephanie Beougher Editor Mr. Steve Toth Layout and Design Ms. Cindy Ayers Hayter Army Historical Content Sgt. 1st Class Josh Mann Contributors - Army and Air National Guard Photo/ Broadcast Journalists - Unit Public Affairs Representatives (UPARs) - Ohio Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion Marketing Office The Buckeye Guard is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense (DOD). Contents of the Buckeye Guard are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the DOD, the Departments of the Army and Air Force, or the Ohio Adjutant General’s Department. The Buckeye Guard is published bimonthly and is available for viewing at ONG.Ohio.gov/buckeyeguard.html. The editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the Public Affairs Office (NGOH-PAO), Ohio Adjutant General’s Department, 2825 West Dublin Granville Road, Columbus, Ohio 43235-2789. Direct communication is authorized to the editorial staff at 614-336-7003 or ng.oh.oharng.mbx.pao@mail.mil. Guard members, Family and other interested persons are encouraged to submit any articles and photos meant to inform, educate or entertain Buckeye Guard readers. Submitted content, if approved for usage, may be used additionally or exclusively on the Ohio National Guard website, ONG.Ohio.gov, official Ohio National Guard social media sites, or in other Public Affairs Office products. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the Ohio Adjutant General’s Department. Everything advertised in this publication will be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the Public Affairs Office will refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation has been corrected.
Staff Sgt. Tara Zuber of the 180th Fighter Wing stopped at the scene of an accident to provide emergency medical care for a boy who had been struck by a car. As she worked to save the child’s life, she had no idea that she was connected to the child through a fellow Airman. READ STORY
FEATURES
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived will upend your thinking on Neanderthals, evolution, royalty, race and even redheads. (For example, we now know that at least four human species once roamed the earth). Plus, here is the remarkable, controversial story of how our genes made their way to the Americas — one that’s still being written, as more of us have our DNA sequenced. Who are our ancestors? Where did they come from? Geneticists have suddenly become historians, and the hard evidence in our DNA has blown the lid off what we thought we knew. Acclaimed science writer Adam Rutherford explains exactly how genomics is completely rewriting the human story — from 100,000 years ago to the present. See the Adjutant General's full reading list on the Ohio National Guard website.
ThereIwas... A 25-year-old F-4 fighter pilot stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany in 1984, prepping to fight the big war with the Warsaw Pact, which included Hungary. There I was. Twelve years later in 1996 as a major in the Ohio Air National Guard and an F-16 pilot from the 180th Fighter Wing, being asked to go to Hungary to lay the groundwork for future cooperation with the Hungarian Defence Forces. I spent three weeks in Hungary on that trip. I sat in the cockpit of an MIG-29, MIG-21 and flew in an MI-8 helicopter — all of which, just 12 years ago, I had considered targets. I was introduced to the amazing hospitality of a Hungarian fighter pilot and his wife in their home. I had the opportunity to tour the countryside and saw sights that were hard to fathom at the time. Everything was so new and different. Now I look back at 25 years of our partnership as part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program and wonder where the time has gone. Throughout those 25 years, Ohio has sent thousands of Soldiers and Airmen to military exchanges and exercises with the Hungarian Defence Forces, which has strengthened the Ohio National Guard’s ability to support NATO security cooperation objectives. In Federal Fiscal Year 2017 alone, more than 400 Airmen and Soldiers took part in joint training activities with their Hungarian colleagues in Load Diffuser 2017, Szentes Axe and Brave Warrior. The partnership has been sustained by conducting more than 300 exchanges over the years focusing on each of our military’s strengths and leveraging military and civilian best practices in areas like air and land forces interoperability, disaster management and professional development. Over the span of the partnership, one of the many rewarding aspects is the professional exchanges that have occurred and the experiences our Guard members have shared with our Hungarian friends. On average, more than 23 exchanges with Hungary take place each year at locations across Europe and North America. We also conduct trilateral engagements that include Ohio’s other SPP partner, Serbia. We are now at the point in this partnership where the Hungarian Defence Forces have implemented strategy and policy learned through our joint engagements when conducting their own training. In addition, Ohio National Guard members have crossed paths with our Hungarian friends in many environments, from attending U.S. War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania to attending regional planning conferences in other countries and being able to socialize as close friends — not just military partners or acquaintances. The Ohio-Hungary partnership is a friendship and a family. Just like siblings in a family, we may not always agree with each other or our parents, but we always know we will be there for each other when needed. I have very fond memories of my many trips to Hungary and the friendships that have flourished over more than two decades. I sincerely hope that future Ohio adjutants general and Hungarian chiefs of defense will have the same opportunities and relationship that Gen. Tibor Benkő and I do today. Mindig Kész, Mindig Ott! Always Ready, Always There!
Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman is the Ohio adjutant general. He is a member of the governor’s cabinet and is responsible for the command of the Ohio National Guard and the military readiness of the Ohio Militia. The Ohio National Guard consists of the Ohio Army National Guard, Ohio Air National Guard, Ohio Military Reserve and Ohio Naval Militia, totaling more than 16,000 personnel. Gen. Bartman graduated from The Ohio State University in 1982 and entered military service in September 1982 through Air Force ROTC. He has served in various operations and command positions and is a command pilot with more than 3,200 flying hours, including 29 combat missions in Operations Provide Comfort, Northern Watch and Southern Watch. READ BIOGRAPHY
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived By Adam Rutherford The Experiment LLC 2017
25th Anniversary of tHe Ohio-Hungary partnership
By Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman, Ohio Adjutant General
Photo by Capt. Sam Atkins, ONG Gen. Tibor Benkő, Hungarian chief of defense staff, and Maj. Gen. Mark Bartman, Ohio adjutant general, conduct an initial meet-and-greet Sept. 21, 2015, at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary. Bartman was making his first official visit as adjutant general to Hungary.
The Equal Opportunity /Diversity & Inclusion Office provides opportunities for Ohio National Guard members to enhance their professional development and embrace diversity and inclusion. Among those opportunities is a reading list suggested by Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman, Ohio adjutant general.
Personal Reflection
Story by Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Ohio-Hungary partnership
In 1993, the original “Jurassic Park” premiered in theatres around the country, Michael Jordan ruled the basketball court and the average price of gasoline was just over a dollar per gallon. It was also the year the Department of Defense established the State Partnership Program and the Ohio National Guard was paired with the Hungarian Defence Forces as one of the new initiative’s first partnerships. The goal of State Partnership Program (SPP) is to link U.S. states with a partner country to promote regional stability and develop civil-military relationships. The Ohio-Hungary partnership was developed during a historical period for Hungary, including their membership in NATO. Today, Ohio’s partnership is one of more than 70 in the program managed by the National Guard Bureau. The Ohio National Guard has committed its forces to regularly conducting joint military exercises and senior military and civic leader visits for the last quarter century. Twenty-five years and more than 300 combined events later, the partnership is still going strong. Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman, adjutant general of Ohio, said the partnership has evolved through the years to more closely resemble a family. “Members of the Hungarian Defence Forces have come to Ohio and stayed in some of my members’ homes and we’ve done the same when we’ve gone over to Hungary,” Bartman said. “We are brothers and sisters in arms. We are part of the same community working toward a common goal.” Throughout the partnership, there have been a number of cooperation activities focusing on missions ranging from peacekeeping and joint training to leadership development. In 2008, the first Hungarians graduated from the Army’s Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course and a Total Army Instructor Training Course at the Ohio Army National Guard’s 147th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) in Columbus. A significant accomplishment, according to Bartman, has been the ability of Ohio and Hungary to deploy together. Since 2009, there have been 10 rotations as part of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) in support of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to Afghanistan. “To be able to go overseas and participate in the fight on terrorism with our Hungarian partners is one of the things our Soldiers who participated in those OMLTs will never soon forget,” he said. Gen. Tibor Benkő, chief of staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces, said he has seen the value of exchanging ideas and sharing information with the Ohio National Guard. “This is a very good example for our different countries, a very good example for the civilians, how we two work together, how we can serve the common interest,” Benkő said. In 2017, Hungarian Defence Force soldiers deployed for nearly a year with Ohio National Guard Soldiers to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint-Kosovo Force (KFOR). Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., assistant adjutant general and commander of the Ohio Army National Guard, is a firm believer in the importance of co-deploying. “The partnership is important because we have to maintain a sense of trust with our NATO allies, but that trust, both at the Soldier level and the senior-leader level, is something you can’t develop overnight. If we have to put our forces on the ground, on the same piece of real estate, at some point, that’s not the time to exchange business cards,” Harris said. David Kostelancik, chargé d’ affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary, said the Ohio National Guard and Hungarian Defence Forces relationship has many benefits. “At the individual level, a generation of soldiers from both countries has developed friendships that extend far beyond deployments in places including Afghanistan and Kosovo, where soldiers worked shoulder to shoulder. All of these things strengthen the entire NATO alliance,” Kostelancik said. There are 74 SPP partnerships between U.S. states, territories, the District of Columbia and countries around the world. In addition to Hungary, Ohio has also been paired with Serbia since 2006. “The national security environment is ever-changing,” observed Army Brig. Gen. Christopher F. Lawson, the National Guard Bureau’s vice director of strategy, policy, plans and international affairs. “In order to promote greater peace and stability in the world, long into the future, we will need a program like the SPP, because it helps nations transition from security consumers to security providers.” Lawson congratulated Ohio and Hungary for their “exceptional cooperation” in the past 2 1/2 decades as society and technology have changed. Today, in 2018, the fifth movie in the “Jurassic Park” series will premiere in theatres this summer, some would argue LeBron James is the king of basketball and the average cost of gasoline is just under $3. It’s also the year the Ohio National Guard celebrates a 25-year partnership with Hungary, a relationship built on commitment, trust and family-like bonds that have been strengthened since 1993.
“We are brothers and sisters in arms. We are part of the same community working toward a common goal.”
“In order to promote greater peace and stability in the world, long into the future, we will need a program like the SPP."
25-year celebration visit by Hungarian delegation to Ohio, May 2018.
is more like a family
Two men in an unmarked black sports utility vehicle sat idle, engine off, in a parking garage. They had been there long enough that their coffee had cooled from near boiling to room temperature. Traffic was brisk, but they gave it only a cursory glance. They were staring through tinted windows, focused on a sedan one aisle over and at the occupants inside. A blast over the hand-held radio broke the monotony: “It’s them, we’ve got a match.” Across town in an unassuming office building, Staff Sgt. Alicia Stayonovich, a criminal analyst with the Ohio Counterdrug Task Force, put down her handset and sank back in her chair with a sigh. Her work with Homeland Security Investigations, the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has always been rewarding but sometimes can be mentally exhausting. Stayonovich is not your usual federal employee or your typical Citizen-Airman. Rather, she is part of the Ohio National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force, using her training to assist law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels to fight drug trafficking. In her day job, Stayonovich provides real-time intelligence and analysis for HSI agents in the field, identifying key information from observations to field reports, which enables agents to respond to events as they happen, with the best information available. In her traditional National Guard role, Stayonovich spends her drill weekends poring over maps and geospatial reports as an operations intelligence analyst with the 178th Wing out of Springfield, Ohio. “They are on the move.” The radio chirps as Stayonovich continues scanning through files critical to the operation. “Units are following.” Stayonovich’s role is to keep the information flowing. Her fingers fly over the keys of her computer, searching myriad law enforcement databases for red flags. Border crossings, prior arrests and lists of aliases all scroll down the screen. In a database of vehicles, one selection is highlighted. The vehicle is on a list of cars with a known “trap,” a hidden compartment, typically used to smuggle illegal substances or weapons. After passing the new information on the vehicle to the agents, Stayonvich’s eyes drift, as they so often do, to the picture directly next to her computer. The frame holds a photo of her brother, Travis, who died from a drug overdose in 2015. “I got the worst phone call you can ever imagine.” Stayonvich said. “It changed my whole entire world.” Travis had used drugs for most of his adult life; opioids were his drug of choice. His lifelong struggle with addiction is the driving force behind her desire to work in law enforcement. “When I was hired on to work with counterdrug, he was still with us and not using.” Stayonovich remembers. “When I interviewed, I was honest and told them. I said ‘It’s a passion of mine.” Six months after Stayonovich started with the CDTF, her brother had a relapse. Three days later, he was found in a local hotel room, dead from an overdose. “I woke up to my phone ringing. I ignored it, but it rang again. It was my dad. I called work, because obviously I wasn’t coming in that day.” Within two hours, a coworker from the CDTF was at her apartment with a bag of groceries and Lt. Col. Alexander Alston, the coordinator for the CDTF, was on the phone, telling her to take all the time she needed. At the funeral, members from both the 178th Wing and the CDTF were there, not just for Stayonovich, but also for her family. Airmen from the 178th also raised money to help pay for funeral expenses. Stayonovich wants people to remember her brother for the person she knew, a good man. “He had a great heart; everyone loved him,” Stayonovich expressed. While a 10-year age gap separated the siblings, they were extremely close. “He was so proud of my service. At his funeral, everyone came up and told me how proud he was.” Travis’ descent into addiction was a tumultuous trip. What started out as simply hanging out with the wrong crowd turned into smoking marijuana. From there it took just one weak moment and Travis started a two-decade battle with opioid addiction and depression. After a run in with the law, Travis cycled through incarceration, to job loss, to depression, to using. Travis tried several rehabilitation programs, but due to circumstances caused by his incarceration, meeting the program policies was a challenge and he was eventually removed from the program. After his death, his family found journals stretching back more than 20 years, the day-to-day thoughts of a brother, son and father — vivid views that ventured from Travis’ desire to get clean to his struggle with addiction and all the thoughts in between. “What on Earth would possess a person to continue using any drug after that first throwing up experience most people have on heroin!,” Travis wrote. “Who’s honestly willing to throw their whole life away assuming you don’t wind up dead? It’s a pretty sad existence.” He wrote of the pain he knew he was causing his family and how he hated himself for his weaknesses, but that he wanted to be regain their trust and that of his community. “One of the biggest things I would like to see, is for people to realize not all addicts are low-lives.” Stayonovich said. “It’s a constant battle, if we don’t get them the resources to quit, they aren’t going to change. There is no typical addict.” The chirp of the radio breaks Stayonovich’s train of thought. “We got it, looks good.” Found in the vehicle was almost a half million dollars of cocaine, a sizable bust. “That’s all I want, is for it to not be available for people to use. I don’t want what happened to me and my family to happen to anyone else,” Stayonovich said. “I want to be a part of the fight against addiction and getting drugs off the street.” In 2017, the CDTF supported law enforcement operations that resulted in more than 14,000 pounds of drugs seized, valued at more than $50 million dollars. Stayonovich knows that it isn’t the end of the drug war, but it’s a victory and progress. Travis would be proud. 2003 photo of Alicia Stayonovich with her brother, Travis Sparrow. For more information on the Opioid Crisis and ways you can be a part of the solution, visit the following websites:
Mission is personal for Ohio National Guard Airman Story by Staff Sgt. Michael Carden Video by Sgt. Andrew Kuhn Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
The Miracle on Laskey Airman uses prior training to help child injured during accident Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Michael Hughes 180th Fighter Wing
Staff Sgt. Tara Zuber, a command post controller assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing.
“911 - What’s your emergency?” “I’m here at Laskey and Oakridge,” a woman replied, her words spilling out in a panic. “A little boy ran across the street and I didn’t see him and I hit him with my car and I need someone right now. Please send someone right now.” “Slow down,” The operator said in a soothing tone, attempting to calm the woman on the other end of the line. “I’ve got someone on the way. How old is he?” “How old is he, honey?” the woman asked. After a short pause she answered the operator. “He’s 13.” Shortly after 8 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2017, as that call went through, Staff Sgt. Tara Zuber, a command post controller assigned to the 180th Fighter Wing, was driving home from dinner with her mother and grandmother when she saw a car stopped in the middle of the road, hazard lights flashing. The sun had set and a light rain was falling, reducing visibility. When she got close enough to see what was happening, she saw a person lying in the road. She pulled over, turned on her hazard lights and began assessing the situation. A young boy, Israel Olan, was kneeling in the street supporting his friend, Keenan Harris, who had just been hit by the car. Two women stood by the other car, one of them on the phone with 911. Zuber laid Keenan down so he was flat on the ground, checked his breathing and checked his pulse. Using a first aid technique called c-spine, Zuber immobilized Keenan’s neck to protect his spine from injury. Keenan was unresponsive when she spoke to him and he was bleeding from his ears. His leg was broken and blood soaked his jeans. Although he was unresponsive, Zuber did her best to comfort the boy, reassuring him that help was on the way and that he would be okay. Zuber wasn’t the only person to stop. As Zuber kept Keenan immobilized, Paula Okuley, a surgical technologist from Mercy St. Anne’s Hospital, pulled over to help as well. Okuley placed her coat on Harris to help keep him warm and dry. Zuber told Israel that she had a blanket in her car, gave him her keys and told him to get the blanket from the trunk. She instructed Israel to cover Keenan with the blanket to help prevent him from going into shock. “There’s not a whole lot you can do in a situation like that, but to make sure they’re breathing, make sure that you have good c-spine precaution, and treat for shock,” Zuber said. A man without any medical training stopped and told Okuley that nobody could see them, and then used his vehicle to block traffic to help keep Zuber and the others safe as they treated Keenan. Two nurses from a local hospital also stopped to help. Jonathan Curtis, an officer with the Toledo Police Department, arrived on the scene next and began blocking traffic. Curtis got a flashlight from his car and they used the flashlight to check Keenan’s pupils in order to determine whether he had suffered a brain injury. “We knew he had head trauma,” Okuley said. “That was the part that was scary. I was holding his hand, and there were a couple times when he stopped moving and we all got really nervous, but the nurse monitoring his pulse would tell us she could still feel his heart beating.” After securing the scene to ensure everyone’s safety, Curtis retrieved medical gloves from his car and offered them to Zuber, but she already had blood on her and refused to let go of Keenan to take the gloves. “When the officer offered us gloves, she looked at him and said, ‘I’m not moving my hands,’” Okuley said. “She was very focused on keeping him still.” “This was Laskey Road at night. It’s dark and people drive like maniacs. She had no regard for her own safety.” Curtis said of Zuber. “Her focus was on that kid. For her to do that, that’s brave. For her to have the courage to do that, it was impressive.” “That night she was more of a hero than we were,” said a firefighter on scene that night. “These people put themselves in danger just by stopping, and they got involved when they didn’t have to, and that is courageous.” As they monitored Keenan and did their best to keep him still, they finally heard sirens. Zuber said she felt relieved to hear the sound, because help would be there soon and she knew every second mattered, but the ambulance wasn’t coming for them. “We heard sirens, and the police officer who was standing there said, ‘they’re not coming for us,’” Zuber said. The sirens belonged to another officer responding to another call at the intersection of Laskey and Bowen. “That was the worst feeling. That moment when you think help is finally there and you’re not going to be responsible anymore, and then you find out they’re going somewhere else and we’re waiting on another station.” “It was a busy night,” Curtis said. “We were responding non-stop to accidents, domestics and all kinds of calls. We actually had two calls for pedestrian struck. There was one on Laskey near Oakridge and another one further east on Laskey.” The initial call came in as a pedestrian struck at the intersection of Laskey and Bowen, but there was nothing at that location. Moments later the call came in correcting the location of the accident to Laskey and Oakridge. “Somebody driving past saw this and reported a pedestrian struck on Laskey, but they told the operator the wrong road.” Curtis said. “Another crew went down Laskey and cleared it all the way down to Jameson.” The police officer who responded to the misreported call at Laskey and Bowen turned around and headed back to the corrected location and helped Curtis direct traffic away from the scene and clear the way for the Toledo Fire Department. When the Toledo Fire Department arrived, Zuber began telling the others what to do, and she relayed information about Keenan’s injuries to the firefighters. “She was calling out what to do,” Curtis said. “When she was doing that, I almost thought it was her scene for a minute.” The firefighters took over, placing a neck collar on Keenan, transferring him onto a backboard, getting him on oxygen and loading him into the ambulance; and Zuber gave them as much information as she could about Keenan’s injuries. They loaded Keenan into an ambulance and took him to Toledo Hospital. When Keenan arrived at the hospital, the trauma team was activated. The team evaluated his injuries — a closed head wound and an open leg fracture. The team alerted the neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery teams, and began preparing the operating room. The head wound was determined to be catastrophic and life threatening. The doctors needed to remove part of his skull to relieve pressure on his swelling brain. The doctors performed the surgery in time to save Keenan’s life, but no one could predict whether he would survive the night or how he would recover if he did survive. As Keenan was recovering after surgery, Zuber was at home thinking about the accident. Zuber said she would run through the whole scenario from start to finish, and questioned whether she had done everything she could have done to give Keenan the best chance to survive. “I spent a solid 24 hours running through it over and over again, trying to make sure there wasn’t anything I missed,” Zuber said. “I ended up not sleeping that night. I laid in bed, but every time I tried to go to sleep I kept hearing his breathing, the way it sounded at the accident.” Zuber had learned Keenan’s name from Israel at the accident and decided to search the name online. Her search led her to Facebook, and that was when she first realized Keenan was the son of one of her co-workers, Master Sgt. Doug Harris, an armament systems mechanic and assistant shift leader assigned to the Aerospace Control Alert mission at the 180th Fighter Wing. Not only were they co-workers, but they were even teammates on the base softball team. The realization that she was personally connected to Keenan added even more significance to the night. “It was a whirlwind of emotions,” Zuber said. “It was a lot to process for a few days.” The next morning, Alina Fuller, director of psychological health at the 180th FW, called to check up on Zuber and to tell her that Keenan was the son of an Airman at the base, which she already knew. Fuller asked if she could pass Zuber’s contact information on to Keenan’s father, and Zuber agreed. “I didn’t know she was the first one on the scene,” Harris said. “When Alina told me that, it just floored me.” Harris called Zuber the next day to thank her for all she had done and to update her Keenan. As Keenan began to recover, his dad would text updates to Zuber. He told her when Keenan would make progress, and when Keenan would backslide in his recovery. While Harris and Zuber had known each other before, they hadn’t known each other well. Zuber said the accident brought her and the Harris family closer together and created a lifelong bond between them. “I don’t care how cliché it is, at the 180th we are a big family,” Zuber said. “We take care of one another, we come together when things are going wrong for someone and we help support each other. It’s a huge situation and it’s had a ripple effect. Doug and I are bonded now.” After three months, Keenan had fully recovered from his injuries. “I didn’t think we’d get to this point, because of his head injury,” said Dr. Aaron Buerk, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and chief of staff at Toledo Children’s Hospital. “He had a catastrophic head injury and the most likely outcome was that he would die that night. He made it through that night which is pretty impressive, but the second most likely outcome was that there would be significant cognitive damage. His recovery is as good as can be. It’s been a miraculous recovery.” “It’s such a relief,” Zuber said. “It was a situation that could have gone completely wrong and devastated a lot of people.” While most people wouldn’t have been able to help in that situation, Zuber was different. Before accepting a job at the 180th FW, Zuber had planned on becoming a firefighter. After completing basic Emergency Medical Technician training, she went on to medic school, completing the course in 2014. The course included clinical experience with the Toledo Fire Department. The same day she was told they would start the background checks necessary for her to work with the fire department was also the same day she passed her last test for command post technical school. She had to make a decision for what she wanted to do. She decided to accept the position at the 180th FW. “If I never use those skills again, at least that training wasn’t for nothing,” Zuber said. “I don’t know if what I did made a difference or not, but to me it’s like all that training was worth it to be able to be in that situation and do what I did. Something good came out of it and it wasn’t just something small.” While Zuber said she doesn’t know whether she had that much of an impact on that night, others say she did. “You see kids come in with these catastrophic injuries and nine out of 10 times they don’t recover, but every now and then one does, and he’s that one,” Buerk said. “If you can help slow down the shock response, you can slow down the blood flow to the brain which is what causes the damage.” “With this particular injury, less than 5 percent survive. I didn’t think we’d be out of the hospital in three months, but here he’s fully recovered in three months,” Harris said. “I owe that to Tara. What she did allowed the paramedics to do less, and got Keenan to the hospital that much faster.” No one can say for certain what the outcome might have been if Zuber had not been on the scene immediately after the accident occurred, if she had stayed just a few minutes longer at dinner or had taken a different route home that night, but one thing is without question: her decision to stop has forever altered the lives of everyone involved.
“Her focus was on that kid. For her to do that, that’s brave. For her to have the courage to do that, it was Impressive.”
Photos by Sgt. Andrew Kuhn, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
ANG director visits Buckeye State
Video by Sgt. Andrew Kuhn, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Military service members participated in the Ohio National Guard “Embrace Your Voice” 5K Color Run April 27, 2018, at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio. Participants were doused with teal powder as they ran, walked and biked the 3.1-mile event, which culminated Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in April and was intended to encourage people to speak up, reach out and stand up for themselves and others. MORE PHOTOS
Always Ready, Always There
Governor’s Wreath Laying ceremony honors Ohio’s fallen
A colorful event for Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month
Photos by Senior Master Sgt. Ralph Branson, 121st Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Task Force Guthrie Greys return from National Capital Region
Photos by Staff Sgt. Michael Carden, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs
Photos by Tech. Sgt. Joe Harwood, 179th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
The annual Governor’s Wreath Laying ceremony was conducted May 21, 2018, at the Ohio Veterans Plaza on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. The event honors the memory of Ohioans who lost their lives in military service to their country, part of the annual observance in honor of Memorial Day. Gov. John R. Kasich, Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman, Ohio adjutant general, retired Col. Chip Tansill, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services, and Gold Star spouse Brittnay McCall placed the wreath at one end of the plaza to highlight the event. READ MORE
Marching with Ohio youth to celebrate drug-free lifestyle
Best Warrior Competition determines top Soldier, NCO
Photos by 196th and 112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachments
Sgt. Ben Tiller (left), of the 122nd Army Band, and Spc. Elliott Stockton, of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 174th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, won the Ohio Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition in the noncommissioned officer and Soldier categories, respectively, during a competition in March. They also represented Ohio at the ARNG Region IV BWC in early May at Fort McCoy, Wis., competing against the best Soldiers and NCOs from the Midwest. The BWC is a grueling multi-day test of Soldiers’ endurance, mental toughness and military skills. READ MORE
The Ohio National Guard
Fifteen members of the Ohio National Guard Counterdrug Task Force joined more than 2,000 youth from across Ohio who marched through downtown Columbus, Ohio, as part of the “We Are The Majority” rally on April 19, 2018, to show their commitment to living a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. The CDTF provided operational and logistic support as part of an ongoing partnership between the Prevention Action Alliance (PAA), the Ohio National Guard and Start Talking! READ MORE
About 35 Soldiers from the 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, located in Columbus, were welcomed home in early May from a nearly yearlong deployment in support of Operation Noble Eagle. The 174th ADA Brigade’s Task Force Guthrie Greys was deployed to the National Capital Region in Washington, D.C. to provide command and supervisory oversight support to the homeland defense mission, which included the use of radar, ground-based air defense systems and communications equipment. The task force was named in honor of the Guthrie Greys, who formed the basis of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.
Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard, and Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Anderson, command chief of the Air National Guard, visited two Ohio Air National Guard wings April 1, 2018, to meet with Airmen and learn more about the missions of the 179th Airlift Wing, located in Mansfield, Ohio, and the 180th Fighter Wing, based in Swanton, Ohio. Both visits were culminated with an “All Call” event where several Airmen were recognized for their recent achievements. WATCH VIDEO
THE OHIO NATIONAL GUARD LINEAGE LINK UP featuring 1191st Engineer Company Portsmouth, Ohio
Company B, 216th Engineer Battalion Kuwait, 2004.
Pfc. Randy Lilly of Headquarters and Headquarters Company 216th Engineer Battalion eases a section of a military pontoon float bridge into place at Camp Drum, N.Y. in 1973.
1191st Engineer Company Fort Bliss, Texas, 2014.
PARENT UNIT Battery C, 135th Field Artillery DATE & PLACE OF BIRTH 3 June 1921, Portsmouth, Ohio MISSION To provide mission command with emphasis on horizontal construction, limited vertical construction, survey and concrete capability while constructing base camps, internment facilities, lines of communication, force protection measures and sustainment operations in support of Brigades, Divisions, Host Nations and Civil Military Operations. CAMPAIGN CREDIT World War II New Guinea War on Terrorism Iraq – Transition of Iraq Iraqi Governance Afghanistan – Transition I DECORATIONS Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), Streamer embroidered
Sgt. Dennis Hegarty of Company B, 216th Engineer Battalion operates a backhoe to spread base course gravel for a roadway foundation at a worksite in Plantanares, Nicaragua during Exercise New Horizons in 1999.
Howitzer Company, 166th Infantry circa 1925
View a more detailed lineage of the 1191st Engineer Company
Headquarters and Headquarters Company 3rd Battalion, 166th Infantry Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., 1954.
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Pfc. Frank Noster Member of Company B, 145th Infantry
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Postcard of the Vaterland sent home by Pfc. Frank Noster to his wife in Lorain, Ohio.
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT
JUNE 23, 1918: The 37th Division, less artillery and trains, arrives in Brest, France and begins training for frontline service as part of the American Expeditionary Forces for World War I. It took seven transport ships to move the men and material of the 37th from the ports of New York and Newport News, R.I. to France. A portion of the division sailed on the SS Leviathan, a German ocean liner originally launched as Vaterland, the world’s largest passenger ship at the time.
ONG.Ohio.gov
Volume 36, No. 3 - May/June 2018
