Florida National Guard

**Florida National Guard Report**
December 2007 Significant Accomplishments FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD 44TH CIVIL SUPPORT TEAM ATTAINS PERFECT SCORE. The Florida National Guard's 44th Civil Support Team (CST) achieved a perfect score in an evaluation of its capabilities in December 2007. In this realistic exercise, the 44th CST responded to a possible chemical contamination at a cruise terminal located near Blount Island in Jacksonville. The exercise was part of an external evaluation, conducted by United States Army North. The evaluation consisted of a very exact and meticulous assessment of approximately 500 tasks and steps against established performance standards. For this evaluation, Florida's 44th CST achieved a perfect 100 percent score. FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY GRADUATION. The Youth ChalleNGe Academy graduated 115 of Florida's previously at-risk youth on December 15th. These 115 young men and women, no longer considered at-risk, now enter the program's post-residential phase during which they will be mentored for the next twelve months with the aim of helping them become successful and productive citizens of Florida. Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy Class 14 will begin January 13 with an anticipated enrollment of 160-170 of Florida's at-risk youth. Class 14 will graduate the residential phase June 14. To date, The Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy has graduated 1,569 of Florida's youth, from 57 of our 67 counties. DEPLOYMENT AND RETURN OF FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD SERVICEMEMBERS Current Mobilized (Federal): 434 Total since 9/11: 8,150 FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD UNITS ALERTED FOR MOBILIZATION. The Department of Defense placed the following units on alert in December. These units may or may not mobilize and deploy as an actual mobilization order has not yet been received. The supported operation and approximate mobilization dates follow the unit names. Company C, 2-144th Aviation Battalion, Brooksville, 81 Soldiers, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, April 2008 356th Combat Support Company, Lake Wales, 120 Soldiers, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, May 2008 146th Expenditionary Signal Battalion, Jacksonville, 515 Soldiers, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, September 2008. 2d Battalion 111th Aviation Operations Battalion, Jacksonville, 70 Soldiers, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, September 2008.
November 2007 FLORIDA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD RECEIVES EQUIPMENT INCREASES. The Department of Defense notified the National Guard that around $33 billion of brand new equipment will be purchased over the next several years to replace older equipment and equipment that was left overseas. Florida has received a steady increase of equipment, surpassing any known distributions through past years. This steady increase eases the pressure on units having to shift training schedules to use available equipment, increases morale of Soldiers and provides a greater, more reliable fleet for future federal deployments and state emergencies. HOSTED ST. AUGUSTINES VETERANS DAY EVENT. The Florida National Guard and Department of Military Affairs led St. Augustine's Veterans Day main event Nov. 10-11, providing the Florida Army National Guard 13th Army Band (Miami), event set-up and ceremony, rifle salute, and military displays. The events began Saturday evening in downtown St. Augustine, as the band played two hours of music in a free public concert, and concluded Sunday with a traditional Veterans Day ceremony at the historic Castillo de San Marcos. The ceremony was sponsored by the Florida National Guard, St. Johns County Veterans Service Office, the Military Officers Association and more than 50 local veterans' organizations. Additionally, a historical Veterans Day event was held at the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center. The Guard also supported numerous other ceremony events across the state. DEDICATION OF VETERANS PARK. The Florida National Guard and Department of Military Affairs, along with St. Johns County officials assisted with the dedication of a 50-acre recreation park in Julington Creek, Fla. The event was attended by St. Johns County residents and local veterans organizations. The park features monuments and flags of each branch of the U.S. military. The display serves as a tribute to those who served, those still serving and those who will serve. 50TH AREA SUPPORT GROUP CHANGES COMMAND. A change of command ceremony was held at Homestead as Colonel Joseph "Mickey" Duren relinquished command to Col. Richard Bedard after a most successful command. Local dignitaries attended and recognized Col. Duren's accomplishments, particularly during the numerous activations of his unit in support of the citizens of Florida during major hurricanes. Col. Duren is now Camp Blanding's commander. DEPLOYMENT AND RETURN OF FLORIDA NATIONAL GUARD SERVICEMEMBERS The 1st Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery (Daytona Beach) with 198 Soldiers, and 27 Soldiers from the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade (Orlando) departed in August for federal service and training at Fort Bliss, Texas. They have arrived in the National Capital Region to conduct a year-long air defense mission under the command and control of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command. The 927th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion (Camp Blanding) with 85 Soldiers, arrived in Iraq representing the State of Florida well, commanded by Lt. Col. Valeria Gonzalez-Kerry. Ten Soldiers from the 260th Military Intelligence Battalion (Miami) are deployed to Kosovo to continue efforts for the stabilization force. The Florida Air National Guard's 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron has an element of around 20 Airmen overseas supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as the 125th Fighter Wing's Security Forces Squadron's contingent of 28 Airmen overseas for Operation Enduring Freedom. There are small numbers of Soldiers and Airmen deployed to various locations around the world in support of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.