Do you
have news about you or your unit
that you
would like to share?????
Then
send it to the ASDF PAO at: csm_asdf@charter.net
C.E.R.T.—Community Emergency Response
Team
Movie Gallery - Dothan
In a disaster, you may be on your
own...Your neighbors are learning what
to do...Are you?
The Community Emergency Response Team
will learn to help themselves and
others!
Through CERT you can receive:
- Disaster First Aid Training
- Disaster Preparedness
- Basic Firefighting
- Light Search and Rescue
- Damage Assessment
- How to Turn Off Utilities
...and more!
The next class will be hosted by
Movie Gallery, Main Street in Dothan.
The class is schedule to start on 2
September 2008 from 1730 - 1930 hours.
C.E.R.T. Program:
Utilizing the Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT) curriculum, this
20-hour program is designed to assist
residents of the "Wiregrass" to be
self-sufficient in the event of a
disaster.
Do to their
outstanding support over the last couple
of years the 304th Infantry Battalion, 3rd
Infantry Brigade has been asked to help
with the Fort Rucker - Wiregrass Chapter
Association of United States Army (AUSA)
General Membership Breakfast agin this
year.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
7:30 AM
First United Methodist Church
Ozark, Alabama
Members needed
for defense force
Tue, Jun 03 2008
— The Alabama State Defense Force is an
all-volunteer uniformed State Guard
Reserve—or state militia—created by state
law to assume state military missions in
the event of full or partial federal
mobilization of the Alabama National
Guard.
They report to the governor through the
state adjutant general. The commander of
the ASDF is a major general who reports to
the adjutant general.
Members serve without pay for drill but
are paid if they are called up
involuntarily for active duty inside the
state. Members usually drill once a month
for two hours on either a Tuesday or
Thursday, from 7-9 p.m.
Volunteers are required to purchase and
maintain their uniforms, which consist of
woodland camo dress with a shoulder patch
and nametapes. The rank structure is the
same as that of the U.S. Army for enlisted
men and officers.
The ASDF supports the Alabama National
Guard and local Emergency Management
Agency in natural disasters. During local
emergencies and community events, the ASDF
helps with traffic and crowd control,
search and rescue and shelter management.
The units also provide personnel for
military funerals.
The ASDF is in search of new members who
are mature, dedicated and patriotic
citizens, male or female, not currently
serving in active or reserve armed forces
units. Prospective members should be of
good moral character and be in good
health, although physical disabilities are
not necessarily a barrier to serving.
Anyone 17 to 70 who meets these criteria
will be considered. Those above 70 should
apply for a waiver and those under 17 must
have parental consent. JROTC and ROTC
members are welcome. No prior military
experience is required.
HHC and Co. A, 103rd Battalion, 1st
Brigade, ASDF are located in Athens.
Presently, there are opening for enlisted,
NCO and officers, a surgeon, registered
nurse and EMTs. There is no weapons
training.
The group meets on second Tuesdays at the
National Guard Armory, 1402 Armory Street.
Visitors are welcome. Call LTC Cal Bonner
at 232-4394 or e-mail him at
CalBonner25@aol.com.
Copyright © 1999-2008
cnhi, inc.
Ozark, AL – May 3, 2008
SSG
Vivian Ash of the 304th
Battalion
Alabama State
Defense
Force (ASDF) and
State
Representative
Steve
Clouse (93rd District)
were
presented the elite
Sergeant
Dixie Club award
at the
regularly monthly
meeting of
the ASDF held at the Dale County EMA
office.
SSG Ash was
the recipient of the
gold
award and Representative
Clouse
received the bronze level
as an
Honorary Member civilian
or officer.
SSG Ash and Representative Clouse joined
BG Ronald G. Noland as the inductee's for
Claas-002.
Induction into
the Sergeant Dixie Club is a prestigious
honor earned by members and supporters of
the ASDF, Alabama’s State Guard. Only
four individuals per year can be selected
for the award and that alone should
explain its prestigious
designation. Dixie Club members
exemplify a special kind of leadership
characterized by a personal concern for
the needs, training, development, and
welfare of soldiers. Membership
recognizes and rewards distinguished NCOs
whose leadership achievements merit
special recognition and who have
contributed significantly to developing a
professional NCO Corps and an effective
ASDF.
For more
information on the Alabama State Defense
Force, please consult the state ASDF
Homepage at:
http://sdf.alabama.gov/default.htm or
contact CSM Blackburn at
csm_asdf@charter.net
Deputy Commander (Army) BG John Kervin
Retires
It was announced
at the state Headquarters Drill on 3 March
2008, that BG John Kervin was stepping
down and retiring as the Deputy Commander
- (Army) due to health problems. BG Kervin
served the state and the ASDF extremely
well as not only the Deputy Commander -
Army, but BG Kervin also did an
outstanding job as the former Commander of
the 4th Brigade and as the President of
the ASDF Association.
We wish him well in his well deserved
retirement.
Christmas Gala Date Set
The state
Headquarters Christmas Gala date has been
set for 2008. It is scheduled for 1
December 2008 at Maxwell Air Base, please
mark your calendar and plan on attending.
TORNADO STRIKES MOULTON
ASDF
Members Respond
(Searching for a Soldiers Medals)
On the 5th of February
2008, Moulton, Al was devastated by a
Tornado that was part of the severe
weather that ravished the Southwest. When
the
Lawrence
County EMA sent out a call for help,
members of the 101st and 103rd
Battalions of the 1st Brigade,
ASDF responded in true SDF fashion. The
Troops of the ASDF fanned out and
conducted Search and Rescue Operations.
Also on hand was the Battalion Chaplain
from the 103rd Battalion, who
provide outstanding support and counseling
to the residents of the devastated
communities.
Although trivial to some whom have
never served, one of the most prolific and
heart rendering searches that the members
conducted was for a tin box that contain
the service medals of a National Guardsmen
who perished in the devastation.
The National Guardsman was the 40 year old
man who was killed along with his wife and
their 19 year old son. The NG member had
served a tour in IRAQ and the ASDF members
found a couple of his medals and some
IRAQI money
the service medals, represented a
small measure of this Troop’s courage and
devotion to duty. The
members of the battalion also
rescued a 100+ pound dog that was trapped
under rubble.
"Three members of Charlie Company (103rd
BN) stopped and rescued an elderly couple
from a damaged structure off County RD 87
prior to reporting to the EOC located in
Moulton."
The ASDF was present
when Gov. Riley made an inspection of the
Lawrence County Tornado damage. The ASDF
command tent was VISITED by Governor Riley
and his entourage; and he shook hands with
several of our members and THANKED them
for their service during the aftermath of
the Tornado
A Big Hooah and a Job Well Done goes out
to the members of the 1st
Brigade for a job Well Done.
CSM Blackburn
returns to the NCO Corps
After
5 months, CSM Blackburn has returned to his
roots, back to his beloved NCO Corps. CSM
Blackburn has been assigned as the CSM for
the ASDF. An assignment
that he both welcomes and look forwards to.
CSM Blackburn stated that he enjoyed his
time in the Officer Corps and learned a lot
from the Officers he worked with and the
courses that he took, but he remained an NCO
at heart.
ASDF
Presents the
“Ola Lee
Mize Award of Excellence”
It is a
distinct honor and privilege for the
members of the Alabama State Defense Force
to Present to CSM (now CPT) John L.
Blackburn, the “Ola Lee Mize Award of
Excellence” which is named in honor of an
Alabama native, Congressional Medal of
Honor recipient, and decorated war veteran
and patriot. This award was established
in 2006 to recognize exemplary and highly
commendable service to the state and
nation by a citizen of the state of
Alabama and/or to a member of the Alabama
State Defense Force.
Command Sergeant Major Blackburn, as the
state Command Sergeant Major for the
Alabama Defense Force is actively involved
in all phases of operations. He
frequently travels throughout the state to
address members of the ASDF during their
monthly drills.
CSM Blackburn started his
active duty military career as a Combat
Infantryman in 1974. In 1978 CSM Blackburn
transferred to the U.S. Army Aviation
Branch as an Attack (Cobra) Helicopter
Crew Chief. After four years as an Attack
Helicopter Crew Chief, CSM Blackburn,
re-classified MOS's to become an Aviation
Operations Sergeant. During a military
career that spanned 22 years, CSM
Blackburn served in Infantry, Aviation,
and Air Cavalry units through out the
United States, Panama, Europe and the
Middle East. In 1991, CSM Blackburn
deployed to Saudi Arabia with the 1st
Military Intelligence Battalion (AE), 5th
US Corps, which was under Operational
Control of the 18th Airborne Corps in
support of "Operations Desert Storm". He
stood his last active duty watch as the
S-3, Operations Sergeant, Aviation
Training Brigade, Fort Rucker, Alabama.
CSM Blackburn was appointed as the 2nd Command Sergeant
Major for the Alabama State Defense Force
on 1 May 2006. As the state CSM for the
Alabama State Defense Force, CSM Blackburn
has established the annual Sgt Dixie Club
and wrote the regulation to recognize
NCO’s, selected officers and civilians who
exemplify a special kind of leadership
characterized by a personal concern for
the needs, training, development, and
welfare of Soldiers. He has established
and developed the ASDF NCOES program to
include writing the E8 and E9 course
curriculum. CSM Blackburn rewrote and/or
redesigned the ASDF Handbook, ASDF
Regulations 3.22-5, 600-8-22, 600-10,
670-1 and ASDF Pam 1-1. Additional he
writes, edits and publishes a monthly NCO
Journal that is provided to the NCOs and
officers in the ASDF and SDF members from
several different State Defense Forces. He
writes articles, collects information and
data from Brigades for articles, edits and
publish a quarterly state newsletter that
is provided to members of the ASDF and
NCOs and officers from several different
State Defense Forces and he serves as the
Webmaster for the State SDF webpage. CSM
Blackburn wrote and published the NCO
Guide for SDF NCOs and NCOs from several
different State Defense Forces are
currently using the guide.
He and his lovely wife of 28 years, have two
sons who are both Eagle Scouts and
"Brotherhood" members of the Order of the
Arrow. CSM Blackburn's oldest son is a
member of Alabama's Air National Guard
187th Fighter Wing (Dixie Vipers) and who
has returned last year from a combat tour
in Iraq, and his youngest son is a Senior
in college, studying Chemistry and
Biology, specializing in Micro-biology.
It
is a distinct honor for the Alabama State
Defense Force to recognize a great
American who exemplifies the principles on
which our great nation was founded.
Noteworthy service to one’s country is
seldom heralded. The Alabama State
Defense Force is proud to recognize CSM
Blackburn’s distinguished military career
and his contributions to our nation with
its highest honor: The Col. Ola Lee Mize
Award of Excellence.
News
from the 304th Inf Bn, 3rd Inf Bde
1,243
