Gov. orders flags to half staff to honor Sen. Kennedy

Driving in to Boone National Guard Center today you will notice the flags in front of the Emergency Operations Center have been lowered to half staff. Gov. Beshear has ordered the flags lowered to half staff in honor of U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) who passed away Wednesday morning after succumbing to terminal brain cancer.

“Our hearts go out to the Kennedy family today as we mourn the passing of legendary Senator Ted Kennedy,” Gov. Beshear said. “Sen. Kennedy will long be remembered for his role as a strong, vocal advocate for the improvement of healthcare, education and beyond. The passion, dedication and perseverance that truly made him the “Lion of the Senate” will be sorely missed.” (Governor's website)

Kentucky ADT visits several projects in Janqadam village

PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Kentucky Agri-business Development Team commander, Col. Mike Farley, talks with a village elder of Janqadam village outside Bagram Air Field in Parwan province, Afghanistan, during a routine check on the community’s greenhouse project, Aug. 24. A greenhouse and vineyard are focal projects with a goal to increase yields of produce for the villagers, earning them extra money by distributing the food at nearby markets. (Photo by Spc. William E. Henry, Task Force Cyclon Public Affairs)

PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Children of Janqadam village outside Bagram Air Field in Parwan province, Afghanistan, flock to see the Soldiers and Airmen of the Kentucky Agri-business Development Team during a routine check on the community’s agricultural projects, Aug. 24. A greenhouse and vineyard are focal projects with a goal to increase yields of produce for the villagers, earning them extra money by distributing the food at nearby markets. (Photo by Spc. William E. Henry, Task Force Cyclon Public Affairs)

Ecuadoran Army Officers visit Kentucky

Brig. Gen. Michael Dornbush welcomes a group of Ecuadoran Army officers who are visiting Kentucky through the National Guard's State Partnership Program to learn new methods of work together with law enforcement agencies in Ecuador, August 25. The National Guard State Partnership Program pairs up U.S. states with nations around the world to improve international relations and cooperation through familiarization visits, military training opportunities, and civil-military liaison events. This visit will focus on helping the Ecuadoran Army better integrate military working dogs into their civil, military and law enforcement operations. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Hiler, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Maj. Gen. Tonini in Iraq

Capt. Travis Huber, commander of the Maysville, Ky.-based 301st Chemical Company, reviews his operations with the Adjutant General of the Ky. National Guard, Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, during his visit with the troops in Iraq, August 20. (U.S. Army photo)

The following article is from the Louisville Courier-Journal. The article is based on a live interview Maj. Gen. Tonini conducted yesterday while visiting the troops in Iraq.

Guard official visits Ky. soldiers in Iraq
By Derek Poore
August 20, 2009

Long-term and repeated deployments to Iraq have not hurt Kentuckians so far, the adjutant general of the Kentucky National Guard says.

Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini made the comments after meeting Thursday with the 301st Chemical Company from Morehead and the 299th Chemical Company based in Maysville during a trip to the Green Zone in Baghdad.

Tonini will meet the Shelbyville-based 1163rd Medical Company on Friday in southeastern Iraq.

Members of the 299th and 301st were previously deployed in Iraq in 2005 and the 1163rd was deployed in Afghanistan in 2003-04.

"I am concerned like a lot of people are concerned about wearing these soldiers out, but so far I haven't seen it," Tonini, of Louisville, said during a conference call with reporters. "We have a lot of people fired up
ready to go."

About 180 soldiers are deployed with the 301st and 299th and 82 are deployed with the 1163rd, said David Altom, spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs.

The 1163rd was most recently deployed in fall 2008 and is scheduled to return in September. The 301st and 299th were deployed in May and are scheduled to return in May 2010. The companies are providing security support for U.S. bases.

Tonini had dinner with troops and said they were in high spirits.

Altom could not confirm if Tonini would next travel to meet Kentucky units in Afghanistan, citing security concerns.

There are 89 soldiers from the Kentucky Air and Army National Guard in Afghanistan as part of an agricultural development team.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, about 12,000 members of the Kentucky National Guard have been deployed worldwide, Altom said.

News Media Coverage of the KYNG Midway Terrorism Exercise

Here is some of the news media coverage of the Kentucky National Guard's Midway Terrorism Exercise...
Terror Training at Midway College -- WKYT
Police vs. "terrorists" in Midway training -- Kentucky.com

Also, here is a story about the Ky. National Guard's assistance with flood recovery in Louisville...
Abramson seeks disaster assistance -- Business First

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Kentucky National Guard Host Campus Shooter Exercise

Patrolman Kevin Estes, with the Versailles Police Department, provides rear security for his team after clearing and exiting a building during the Midway College 2009 Training Exercise in Midway, Ky., August 5. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Three members of the Versailles Police Department’s Special Response Team (SRT) examine a blueprint of a building suspected shooters are firing in a pre-mission planning stage during the Midway College 2009 Training Exercise in Midway, Ky., August 5. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment).

During the Midway College 2009 Training Exercise, two role-players portray downed hostile gunman inside a boiler room on the roof of a building on campus. The Versailles Police Department’s Special Response Team waits to enter and secure the area. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Blue Team from the Versailles Police Department’s Special Response Team clears a campus building’s foyer as part of a hostile shooter scenario during the Midway College 2009 Training Exercise in Midway, Ky., August 5. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

An unnamed Federal Bureau of Investigations agent, acting as an evaluator for the training scenario, provides a critique in an after-action review after the Versailles Police Department Special Response Team completed their portion of the hostile shooter training scenario. Each agency is evaluated based upon their internal standard operating procedures. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael Pfaff, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)

Air Guard Base Supports Pandemic Response Efforts

EXERCISE - EXERCISE - EXERCISE

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Army and Air National Guard officials continued to support the state's response to the H5N1 pandemic here today as officials directed relief operations in 30 counties across the Commonwealth.

Those counties fall under the control of Joint Task Force Cardinal, which is headquartered at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base at Louisville International Airport. Task force assets include the full resources of the Louisville-based 123rd Airlift Wing and the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, said Brig. Gen. Mark Kraus, commander.

More than 3,000 Soldiers and Airmen are assigned to the task force. Right now, they are engaged in multiple relief activities across the state including direct support of local health departments and law enforcement agencies in Louisville and Covington, as well as crowd control and mortuary operations. Guardsmen also are providing support to civil authorities to maintain essential public services and critical commercial activities as directed by the Governor and government agencies.

Photo 1: Joint Task Force Cardinal officials receive a status update of current operations at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base today. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer. Cleared for release.)

Photo 2: Brig. Gen. Mark Kraus, Joint Task Force Cardinal commander, analyzes the Guard's response to mortuary operations today as casualty rates approach 7,000. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer. Cleared for release.)

Photo 3: Master Sgt. Ernie Cays, chief of public health, tracks infection rates across the task force's area of responsibility today. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer. Cleared for release.)

Photo 4: Lt. Col. Alison Webber, staff judge advocate, reviews rules of engagement today for National Guard troops assigned to work with law enforcement agencies. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer. Cleared for release.)

Photo 5: Master Sgt. Monte Goldring provides contracting support for deployed forces throughout Joint Task Force Cardinal. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer. Cleared for release.)

Photo 6: Lt. Col. Kevin Morris coordinates an airlift sortie to deliver troops as needed across the Commonwealth today. (Kentucky National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer. Cleared for release.)

EXERCISE - EXERCISE - EXERCISE