Greetings Griffon Team!

I hope you rang in 2020 in style, and got some well-deserved down-time over the holiday period. So, we’re in the calendar year 2020, which caused me to think of the fact that we commonly use the term 20/20 in regard to visual acuity, to mean that a person possesses “perfect” vision. If we had perfect vision regarding the future, it would surely be a lot easier to predict the threats which might confront our nation, and prepare our Army accordingly. So, without perfect future vision, what can and should we be focused on?

(This is part three of a three-part story.)

Watching the Army recruits run to their designated location, the drill sergeant could feel the tension, the excitement, the anticipation. The only question now was, who was more excited—her or the trainees?

Drill Sergeant Alycia Perkins is a new Drill Sergeant. In fact, she has only been ‘on the trail’ for a few weeks and everything is new and exhilarating to this U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant. Fresh out of the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy, this young noncommissioned officer is full of the latest knowledge and knows all the regulations, training goals and safety protocols. She had worked extremely hard on earning her Drill Sergeant hat and badge, and now, here she stood before a group of civilians she had helped transform into Soldiers. They were just days away from graduating from U.S. Army Basic Combat Training, and Perkins could not be more proud.

It was a scary moment at the Ft. Custer Training Center, Augusta, Michigan, when a Cadet fell approximately 31’ from the “Tough One” obstacle during a joint exercise between Cadets from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University Army ROTC.

Drill Sergeants leave an indelible mark on the Soldiers whom they train. Being a Drill Sergeant is a unique assignment, not found anywhere else in the Army.

So, why do Drill Sergeants do what they do? To answer that question, I traveled to 3RD Brigade, 95TH Division’s annual Drill Sergeant Validation Exercise (VALEX) held at Fort McCoy, WI from 23-27 October 2019 and interviewed Drill Sergeants from across the brigade’s footprint, which spans across the United States. The VALEX is designed to prepare candidates for the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy and ensure they are ready to take on one of the greatest challenges in the U.S. military.

Earlier this year, the 95th Training Division and 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command hosted an ENGAGE T4T (Train the Trainer) and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) update workshop.

One Company from the 1st Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Londonderry, NH, is making its mark preparing their Soldiers for the upcoming Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). On September 7th, C Co (Comanche), out of Saco, Maine, conducted a Grader ACFT certification for 12 Soldiers from Comanche and HHD, 1-304th. Comanche’s Master Fitness Trainer and NCOIC ACFT Master Grader Instructor, Sgt. 1st Class Roy, led the certification, delivering in-depth instruction both before and after the 12 participants underwent the ACFT.

140.6 miles. I AM AN IRONMAN. Ten months ago I committed myself to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run a full marathon, back to back to back. I could write a book on the things I’ve learned about myself in those 10 months. From the day I plunked down the $800 entry fee to hearing my name as I crossed the finish line, “John Lloyd Luecke – ‘you are an IRONMAN.’” It is truly a testament to one’s focus, grit, and intestinal fortitude to achieve the IRONMAN challenge. I’ve run marathons; I’ve rode centuries, and I’ve swam over a mile. Each of those individually tasks were extreme undertakings that required a high level of commitment and training. Then put them back to back... Unfathomable. Sometimes you just have to take the leap, and have faith in your ability.

As 2020 kicks off, Soldiers, veterans and families across the 98th Training Division (IET) are inevitably looking forward. The new year brings hope and plans and resolutions. However, every great leader knows, the best path to future success is to ensure the past is remembered.

Humans are social animals. Even the staunchest introvert craves some communal interaction from time to time. Innately, we seek to learn from, compete with, and care for others. So it comes as no surprise that embedded in Army culture is the ideology better known as the “Buddy System.” Merriam Webster defines the buddy system as “an arrangement in which two individuals are paired (as for mutual safety in a hazardous situation).

FORT KNOX, Ky. — 4-399th CST Battalion conducted a rappelling demonstration in support of Military Appreciation events at the University of Illinois.

The University of Illinois Army ROTC is comprised of nearly one hundred Cadets seeking to earn a commission as an officer in the United States Army. One important event to the University as well as its ROTC program remains the Military Appreciation Day football game which was held November 2, 2019 with over fifteen events during the game day celebration at Memorial Stadium.

The Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD) and Bravo Company, 3-304th in Saco, Maine recently celebrated the holidays with a celebration for Soldiers and their Families organized by the Soldier Family Readiness Group (SFRG). The event was well attended with nearly 130 Soldiers and their Families joining the celebration along with the 3-304th’s Battalion Commander, Lt. Col. Andrew Craven. Longhorn Steakhouse in Auburn, Maine donated the feast for the party which featured steak tips and chicken along with side dishes of potatoes, broccoli and rolls. Additionally, spaghetti and sauce were provided by Paula Cummins, SFRG Treasurer.

In 2018, 1-398 Basic Combat Training faced multiple challenging issues.  One of the last battalions in the 108th for readiness, recruiting was non-existent, retention was worse, and morale was dismal.  These facts were backed up by the 104th Monthly Unit Report Card (MURC).  1-398 was second from the bottom in the division for readiness.  The 2018 Command Climate Survey indicated dismal morale, as well as multiple SHARP and EO issues.  Many Soldiers hated their jobs, their unit, or both.  Non-participant and unsatisfactory participant numbers were high, and Soldiers were requesting transfers out of the unit in droves.

Interview By Sgt. 1st Class Darleen G. Adkins, Public Affairs NCO 104th Division (LT)

They came together as a team in June of 2018 and 1st Sgt. Carrie Kavanaugh and Maj. Zachary Abrams have been a collaborative, complementary force ever since. Although their paths have been divergent on their way to this position, their foundations and ideologies are remarkably similar.

Born in Oxford, Nebraska and growing up in Beaver City, Kavanaugh lived in a city of just over 600, graduating High School with a tri-county combined class of 47, while Abrams was born and raised in the “big city” of Tucson, Arizona and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Both Soldiers however, had family members that went before them in military service, with Kavanaugh loving the military from a young age and Abrams deciding while he was in high school to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

The year 2019 has been an eventful and gratifying one for the 108th Griffon Association. Much has been accomplished. Most satisfying was financial assistance to a Soldier of a 108th Tng Cmd unit, who was injured in a training accident, with a subsequent delay in the INCAP pay determination, which resulted in a family financial crisis. The Association provided him and his family with several thousand dollars in grants to sustain them until the military relief was implemented.

Grab those wooden mallets because it’s time to chase down the delicate, sweet seafood flavor of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab, and in Kent County, on Maryland’s Upper Eastern Shore, the supply is plentiful and the tradition of celebrating the season is lively.

Home to 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches, emerald green waters, 320 days of sunshine annually and a year-round calendar of exciting events, Panama City Beach is beloved by travelers of all types seeking an affordable beach vacation. The destination has something for everyone, from voluntourism seekers, eco-adventurers, adrenaline chasers and foodies to couples and families looking to make lasting memories.

The popular mountain getaway of Hendersonville, North Carolina — long known for its apple orchards and charming downtown — has emerged as a hot spot for wine enthusiasts. The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountain countryside provides a peaceful oasis to sip quality wines while taking in long-range views.

Surrounded by the Pisgah National Forest and minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, Hendersonville beckons travelers looking to disconnect from daily worries and reconnect with each other and the natural world.

Just north of the Mason Dixon Line, close to the midpoint of the Great Appalachian Valley, is Franklin County PA. It is home to history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. With four-seasons of family-fun and outdoor recreation, Franklin County getaways refresh and energize.