CAMP RIPLEY -- When families said good-bye to their loved ones who were deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom this past year they tearfully watched their soldiers leave for training to another state.

The families were given another chance to see their loved one, one more time, before their soldier left from the out-of-state training base to go overseas.

If Camp Ripley becomes a mobilization station for the National Guard and Army Reserve future families who will have to say good-bye may be able to spend more time with their soldier before being deployed overseas.

The Department of Defense is conducting a study of Camp Ripley to see if it qualifies as a mobilization station. The study began in October after Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., visited Camp Ripley in April with area soldiers.

Coleman initiated the study and Congress passed a bill that directed the Department of Defense to complete a study within 120 days.

 

Camp Ripley, MN

Lt. Col. Rich Weaver, post commander at Camp Ripley, said the 120 days will be up at the end of January. Weaver said the Army Forces Command of the Department of Defense is conducting the study.

Weaver said it is an honor that Camp Ripley is being considered as a mobilization station. Weaver said Camp Ripley has the capacity to be a mobilization training site and if it becomes one it would be beneficial to National Guard and Army Reserves members in Minnesota and North and South Dakota and their families.

Weaver said the soldiers would be able to train near home instead of going to mobilization sites that are located out of state. "This would allow our soldiers to be home with their families longer before they are deployed overseas," Weaver said.

The four National Guard mobilization sites are Camp Shelby in Mississippi, Camp Atterbury in Indiana, Camp Roberts in California and Grove Field in Idaho. Training for soldiers put on active duty recently has taken place at Fort Dix, N.J., Fort McCoy, Wis. and Fort Carson, Colo.

Weaver said only two of the mobilization sites are being used. He said so if Camp Ripley becomes a site it may not be used right away.

If the site is approved by the Department of Defense, Weaver said Camp Ripley would train no more than 1,000 mobilized soldiers at a time. He said there is enough resources to train more, but they want to continue to provide the camp's resources to non-mobilized soldiers and civilians.

"We have the capacity to train 9,000 to 10,000 soldiers at a time," said Weaver. "One of our mission's is to continue to serve our National Guard members in Minnesota and if we serve to our capacity (of being a mobilization station) then there would be no room for our guys here.

"We want to assist in mobilizing soldiers, but not at the expense of the troops that currently train here."

Camp Ripley is busy throughout the year, especially during the summer. Camp Ripley trains thousands of soldiers from around the state and surrounding states in the summer. There also are community events at camp, including the Ripley Rendezvous Boy Scouts event which brings in thousands of boy scouts each year.

Weaver said Camp Ripley, with its 53,000 acres, has enough land to be a mobilization station. Camp Ripley is one of the biggest camps when it comes to size, said Weaver. Equipment and facilities are also sufficient. Weaver said many times the units who come to train bring their own weapons and other equipment.

The immediate need would be hiring employees. Weaver said Camp Ripley would need to hire between 200 to 400 employees if it was a mobilization site. He said many would be full-time employees who would work on training, soldier readiness programs and help with medical needs.

Weaver said if Camp Ripley becomes a training site it would qualify for federal funding and would be able to update the facilities if needed. He said they also would be able to build a morale welfare and recreation building for soldiers to be used when they are off duty.

Weaver said the economic impact on the communities surrounding Camp Ripley will benefit if the camp is mobilized. He said Camp Ripley had a $149 million economic impact on the community in 2003 and this number would only increase.

Little Falls Mayor Brian Mackinac said Little Falls and Brainerd's economy would be on an upswing if Camp Ripley becomes a mobilization site.

"I have no reason why Camp Ripley should not become a site," Mackinac said. "It's a nice facility and they do a good job there. They are good neighbors."

Morrison County Board Chair Tom Wenzel agreed with Mackinac on the benefits of the economy and family time.

"Camp Ripley is an excellent training facility," said Wenzel. "Camp Ripley is one of the backbones of this community."

Wenzel said he does not see any disadvantages of Camp Ripley becoming a mobilization station. He said he does not hear any complaints from the public now on anything, such as noise.

"The noise is music to my ears," he said. "I live about 3 1/2 miles the way the crow flies and it doesn't bug me. When I hear it I know there are soldiers training to fight for our freedom."

Weaver said Camp Ripley would be busier if mobilized, but not louder. He said there would be more small weapons shot that people can't hear, not the louder bangs people hear during the summer trainings. (JENNIFER STOCKINGER, Brainerd Dispatch, MN)

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January 4, 2005 - Kernan Visits Pentagon to Discuss Future of Crane

Gov. Joe Kernan tomorrow will be in Washington, D.C., for meetings with Pentagon officials on the future of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division.

Kernan is scheduled to meet at the Pentagon with Adm. Vern Clark, the U.S. Navy’s chief of naval operations, and Brig. Gen. Edward G. Usher III, the U.S. Marine Corps’ director of logistics, plans and policies. The governor will discuss the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure process
and the importance of Crane to national security, as well as the state’s economy.

“This is an important opportunity to discuss the future of Crane as an important hub of national defense and homeland security for our entire country,” Kernan said. “The military – as well as Hoosier contractors – at Crane have had a hand in virtually every ship, submarine, aircraft and missile
system fielded by the Navy. In addition, the base has developed specialized weapons and equipment and is counted on to supply the first 30 days of munitions for any major conflict.”

“The Department of Defense cannot afford to lose Crane’s military assets,” Kernan said. “As well, the base and its 4,000 jobs are also vitally important to Indiana’s economy - an estimated $117 million a year in business with Indiana companies.”

The trip is the second Kernan has made in the last year to discuss Crane and is the latest in a long series of steps Kernan and Lt. Gov. Kathy Davis have taken to make a case for keeping Crane open. In March 2004, Kernan met with Acting U.S. Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee and Assistant
Secretary of the Navy H.T. Johnson about Crane’s military value and the state’s strong support for both the Navy and Army activities carried out at the base.

At a meeting at the military installation also in March 2004, the governor took part in a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding between Crane and Camp Atterbury, the Army National Guard training site near Edinburgh. The MOU formally gives Crane expanded use of test ranges at Atterbury and allows the Indiana National Guard to utilize the 100-square-mile Navy base for training exercises. The MOU also will serve as a basis for new collaborations on homeland security.

Kernan signed legislation in 2004 that will facilitate more collaboration between the state’s military installations and the private sector in two significant ways: one, by allowing for the establishment of Certified Technology Parks at the state’s military installations; and, two, by providing tax incentives to businesses that choose to locate new facilities at military installations.

In addition, the governor, by way of executive order, created a task force to help strengthen infrastructure support for Crane and convince federal decision-makers that the facility is well suited to take on an even larger role in the nation’s defense structure. Led by Davis, the group includes nine state government entities.

In September 2004, Davis met with several U.S. Department of Defense officials to discuss Crane’s broad range of expertise, technologies and facilities, as well as outline the relationships the facility has with Hoosier businesses.

Source: Office of Governor Joe Kernan

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January 6, 2005 - Subway adds sandwich stop at Camp Atterbury

A new restaurant has opened inside the gates of Camp Atterbury, offering soldiers another option besides cafeteria-style dining before they are sent overseas.

A Subway sandwich restaurant opened along the camp’s main street on Wednesday. It is the first national chain to set up shop at Camp Atterbury.

With a daily population of up to 6,000 people, Camp Atterbury was ready for another place to eat, said Col. Kenneth Newlin, camp commander.

Restaurant owner George Estep said he believes that is enough people to make his Subway profitable. He signed a 20-year lease on a new building. It’s a risk, he said.

“It’s a big scare. How busy will we be?” Estep said. “But that’s the price you pay when you do business. I just really wanted to do this for the troops. They’re leaving for war, so let’s give them one last taste of the U.S.A.”

In February 2003, the U.S. Army designated Camp Atterbury as a training site for Guard and reserve soldiers who were going to the Middle East. Troops poured in from around the Midwest, pushing the camp’s population from a few hundred soldiers in the summer to up to 5,000 each day, as well as 1,000 additional soldiers and civilians who make up the post’s permanent staff.

Subway has more than 180 restaurants operating at military bases all over the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and even one in the Pentagon. The one at Camp Atterbury is the first Subway on a National Guard facility.

Newlin said Atterbury is unique. Like all National Guard training sites, Atterbury still conducts the weekend and summer training. The activation, however, means the camp gets more than the usual summer soldiers.

Estep, who owns 20 Subway restaurants in central Indiana, said he drove around the post a couple of years ago and saw how it was growing. He decided then he wanted to bring a Subway to the camp.

About 20,000 soldiers have come through Atterbury since November 2003 to prepare for duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and other places, said Maj. Mike Brady, public information officer.

The official meal option for the soldiers is the mess hall. The Guard has a contract with Crystal Catering, an Indianapolis firm, to provide the meals in a free, cafeteria-style setting.

Soldiers also can order pizza delivery from nearby Domino’s and Eddie’s Lakeview Pizza or buy snacks at the post exchange. Non-military business owners also run the camp’s officer clubs and concession stand.

Regular staff can go to nearby Edinburgh for lunch, but troops who are training for active duty are not allowed to leave unless it’s for an organized event, such as a bus trip to church or shopping, Brady said.

Many of the soldiers are from out-of-state and were bused to Atterbury, so they don’t have cars.

He added that the National Guard officials would be open to more national chains if the deal with Subway goes well.

“I’d love to get a Starbucks,” he said.

Camp Atterbury is not a closed post, so civilians can eat at the Subway, too. The camp also has a museum and gift shop open to the public.

When the government’s security alert is low, civilians need to present identification at the main gate and tell the officer where they are going, said Brady. If the security level is raised, however, it could take longer to get through the gate.

Gen. Martin Umbarger, the Adjutant General of the Indiana National Guard, said the new restaurant shows how the military is attempting to offer soldiers more choices.

“Thirty-five years ago, you ate what they dumped on your plate,” the Bargersville resident said.

The Subway also will support the camp’s morale, welfare and recreation efforts, Estep said. As part of his lease agreement with the camp, he will donate 4 percent of his sales to Army Air Force Exchange Service, a civilian-military partnership that runs stores, restaurants and recreation programs on bases around the world.

Some of that money will pay for sports equipment, soldiers’ outings, TVs and video games or other activities for soldiers during their free time.

The Subway building took two years to construct. The 1413th Engineer Detachment started the project before going to Afghanistan. Members of the Installation Support Unit’s Department of Public Works completed the building and later enlarged it to meet Subway’s needs. (By AMY MAY, Daily Journal staff writer)

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January 8, 2005 - 926th soldiers to head overseas.

Huntsville (AL) is sending another 80 soldiers overseas to help rebuild plumbing, restore electricity and rebuild destroyed buildings in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

At this point, the official destination of the Charlie Company of the 926th Army Reserve Engineering Battalion is classified. "All we can tell you is they are being sent overseas," said Lt. Col. Ingrid Moertl, a public affairs officer with the 640th Area Support Group.

Charlie Company includes about 150 soldiers of the U.S. Army Reserve. Of those, 80 are from the Huntsville area, she said. Most are construction specialists, from carpenters to electricians.

The troops will board buses after a ceremony in Huntsville on Sunday afternoon. Ceremony details are confidential for security reasons, the Army said.

The soldiers are scheduled to arrive for administrative and medical processing at Camp Atterbury in Indiana, Moertl said. They will depart from there for overseas duty. "We expect them to be gone at least one year," Moertl said.  (staff reports, Huntsville Times, AL)

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January 12, 2005 - Guardsmen safe after bomb.

In northern Iraq, even the public relations missions are fraught with danger.

Sgt. William Milligan, 23, of Gary was in a Humvee with three other people on his first convoy when a car bomb exploded, just outside of Teli Afar, west of Mosul.  Milligan, who arrived in Mosul via plane on Thursday, was one of the first Indiana National Guard 113th Engineers to ride with the Virginia National Guard unit they will replace in a few weeks.

It was a goodwill mission Saturday to deliver soccer balls and toys to a school inside the small city of Teli Afar, as part of a program to inspire confidence in the upcoming Iraqi elections.  The trip into the city was uneventful. Shortly after the convoy pulled out, Milligan said the Virginia National Guard driver in his Humvee became nervous.

“The convoy started to slow down as we got inside the city. The driver said, 'This is a bad area. We shouldn’t go this slow,’ ” Milligan said. It was a crowded area with homes, children and livestock. He didn’t expect the blast, he said. A herd of livestock slowed the lead truck, bringing the convoy to a halt, he said.

“The driver said again, 'This is a bad spot and we shouldn’t stop.’ And before he got the words completely out of his mouth there was a boom,” Milligan said.

The car bomb exploded.

“I was almost in a state of shock. When I opened my eyes the entire vehicle was black and there was stuff everywhere,” he said. Milligan was sitting behind the driver. “On the radio from the vehicle behind us I heard “vehicle three, vehicle three, you’re on fire,” he said.

According to Milligan, the blackened Humvee sped away on burst tires. Moments later, Apache helicopters converged on the spot.

Milligan couldn’t hear for a few moments. He could only see the people around him mouthing commands. He was placed in charge of a gun turret for another Humvee and the convoy sped away, back to Mosul.

“The good Lord definitely had a hand in it. If you look at that vehicle, you’d say there was no way we could have lived through that,” Milligan said.

The grade of armor-plating kits used to retrofit Humvees in Mosul also played a role. The metal was thicker than the so-called “hillbilly armor” soldiers described as being used for convoy vehicles headed from Kuwait. The upgrades placed on vehicles in Mosul included bulletproof glass and armored floor boards that withstood the bombing. None of the four people on the convoy were reported injured. Milligan showed no outward signs of being in an explosion a day earlier.

On Sunday, he spent most of the day sitting with friends, sleeping, watching movies in his small metal quarters with Spc. Paul Wilderness. Spc. Sharlonda Henderson, 26, of Gary, brought him dinner from the mess hall. “This is the first and last time I’ll do this for you,” she said, laughing.

Henderson said it was a bit eerie how calm Milligan had been all day. Though, she said, she has known the full-time MP at Camp Atterbury since he joined the unit and he typically takes things in his stride.

A day after the blast Milligan was using the experience as a motivational tool. He said surviving a car bomb helped him overcome the fear of the unknown in Mosul. It made him stronger.

“It’s really, really ugly out here. But having your friends out here, it’s like your family. If you are tight with your battle buddies you can make it,” Milligan said. “That’s the only way to look at it.”  (By Steve Walsh / Post-Tribune, IN).

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January 12, 2005 - Governor meets with troops at Atterbury

Camp Atterbury, Jan. 12 - With a salute, Governor Mitch Daniels officially began his role as the state's commander in chief. "I'm glad to be here, will come often."  His visit to Camp Atterbury comes only three days into office.

One soldier told him, "You got my vote. I appreciate what you're doing. I expect great things from you."

Already he's made an impression on Sgt. Christopher Meriweather. "Good to see people care. The governor took time to come down here and see what's going on."  The state's adjutant general and Atterbury's commander acted as tour guides, but it was the soldiers Daniels went to see, as he told them, "We're proud of you. Thank you for what you did."

One group was filling out the necessary paperwork after completing a year-long tour of duty stateside.

Sgt. Joe Clayton of Seymour was in that group. "It's nice to have the appreciation, be welcomed back like that."  Sgt. Larry Ridge from Fairbanks says he was "Very impressed he came down, shook our hands and appreciated us coming back."

Grateful too were those preparing to leave for Iraq.

Adjutant General Umbarger noticed, "You could just tell when he walked in, the beams in their eyes just lit up. They were so excited he would come down, spend the time."  An Anderson-based unit learned the sometimes painful points of war as they practiced administering medical care, tools they'll need in combat.

Daniels told them, "We are so proud of you, so grateful to you and we'll be thinking about you everyday." 

For his part, the new governor signed on a plan for differential pay to help people like Sgt. Jeff Auker, a state employee who serves in the guard. "The state will make up the difference of what you're paid," said Daniels.

When asked how much the differential pay plan would cost the state, the governor said, "I don't know and I don't care." Daniels says the state should set a good example in supporting those willing to put themselves at risk to protect our country.

Auker responded, "Mainly for my family it's going to be a good thing."

The governor's tour lasted little more than an hour and included a glimpse of a soldier's life at war.  Daniels made the trip to Atterbury on his way to assess flooding in southern parts of the state. (Kris Kirschner/Eyewitness News)

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January 14, 2005 - Job corps to expel students for fights

Atterbury Job Corps officials will evaluate the mass-evacuation plan and investigate fights that broke out on campus after the power went out Thursday evening.

The Edinburgh-area center will consider filing a copy of the disaster plan with the local fire department and study how to improve communications as part of the review of the incident.

All 10 students injured during the incident were treated at Johnson Memorial Hospital and released on Thursday night. At least four involved in physical fights during the blackout will be expelled from the program, said Jim Hemmelgarn, business and community liaison for Atterbury Job Corps.

About 7 p.m. Thursday, damage to an underground cable diminished the power feed to the campus, Cinergy/PSI spokesman Rob Norris said.

The result was smoke filling two dormitories and the cafeteria on campus. The 566 students who were studying, having recreation time or watching movies were evacuated to the fieldhouse. The Nineveh Fire Department and electric company were called.

Emergency workers had hoped that Cinergy could cut power to one building at a time to determine the problem, Hemmelgarn said. Cinergy/PSI workers had to shut down power to the entire campus because Camp Atterbury is served as a single customer on one meter, Norris said.

“That’s what caused a little bit of chaos,” Hemmelgarn said. “We weren’t prepared for that.”

When the lights went out, at least four students began fighting in separate incidents. Fellow students and some of the 40 staff members working at the time broke up the fights.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office had not received any reports about the fights by Friday afternoon.

All students were taken across the road to Camp Atterbury. They had returned to their job corp dorms by 3 a.m. Friday, Hemmelgarn said.

While at Camp Atterbury, a female student fell in the dark and hit her head. Other injuries were caused in the scuffles. The Nineveh Fire Department said Thursday that one student had a heart condition and another suffered an asthma attack.

Power was restored about 11:30 p.m. when electricity was routed around the damaged area, Norris said. The initial problem was fixed at 7 a.m. Friday.

The job corps emergency-evacuation plan is to use buses and work with military stationed at Camp Atterbury to evacuate the campus as quickly as possible, Hemmelgarn said.

On Thursday, Nineveh Fire Department Chief Jason Ramey said the fire department has a contract with the job corps to provide medical and fire service, but emergency workers were not aware of a predetermined response plan for disaster or other large-scale problems at the campus.

Also, job corps security officers and Johnson County emergency officials communicated on separate radio frequencies Thursday night.

Both are issues that job corps officials will address when studying the incident and officials’ response early next week, Hemmelgarn said.

Atterbury Job Corps is the second-largest job corps center in the United States, Hemmelgarn said.

The coed center teaches job skills to teenage and young-adult students who struggle in traditional high-school settings. Currently, seven students are from Johnson County and 127 are from Indianapolis, Hemmelgarn said.

Classes were canceled on Friday. (By MICHELE HOLTKAMP-FRYE, Daily Journal staff writer)

(Webmaster Note: The Atterbury Job Corps occupies the area that was once the Wakeman General Hospital during WW2, and the U. S. Army General Hospital #8 during the Korean War.  During WW2, it was the largest hospital of its kind in the nation.  The Job Corp has demolished all of the original 57 two-story concrete block, interconnected buildings, except for 4, and they are marked for destruction.)

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January 15, 2005 - Guard looks into shooting of soldier during training

Edinburgh -- An Indiana National Guard soldier was shot in the leg Friday during training at Camp Atterbury.

Maj. Mike Brady, public affairs officer for Camp Atterbury, said the accident occurred about 2:30 p.m. on a firing range.

The soldier's name was withheld pending completion of an investigation.  Brady said the injury was not life-threatening.  He said the investigation would help determine whether any improvements could be made to help prevent such accidents. (Indystar.com)

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January 15, 2005 - Area soldiers prepare for deployment

EDINBURGH, Ind. - At 1 p.m. the attack began.

A shrill whistle, a shout - "Incoming!" - then, BOOM! A puff of white smoke rose over the green tents. Soldiers, heavy in their fatigues, shuffled through the mud and January sun to sandbagged bunkers.

BOOM!

Something exploded just outside one bunker, packed with soldiers from the Calumet-based 107th Engineer Battalion. Nervous laughs came from the dark hole.

Silence fell over the countryside. It was over. It wasn't real.

The scene plays routinely at Camp Atterbury, a sprawling National Guard base in southern Indiana where all soldiers due to deploy overseas from the post spend a week in a simulated forward operating base.

In a remote tract of Atterbury, rows of earth walls, concertino wire and guard towers surround the smattering of tents that mark the simulated base. Soldiers watch the landscape through binoculars, reporting to the command tent.

Big guns from a nearby firing range shook the air.

The scene, minus the bitter, cold wind and Midwest vegetation, is straight out of Iraq. That's what trainers want.

They go to elaborate ends to simulate conditions troops will face in combat. Explosions. Snipers. Protests. Car bombs.

The explosives used are harmless but loud, and have been known to frighten even veterans. ( Dave Evensen, Daily Mining Gazzete)

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January 19, 2005 - Commissioners asked to support Crane

The Greene County Commissioners were invited Tuesday to be actively "involved and engaged" in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process now under way as it relates to the neighboring Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division facility.

Mike Gentile, executive director of the Southern Indiana Business Alliance (SIBA), a not-for-profit Bloomington-based lobby organization hired to "make a case" at the federal and state levels to keep NSWC Crane open during the latest round of base closing review addressed the commissioners.

The SIBA official said now is not the time to view the BRAC process with complacency.

"The process is started, but it is by no means done. It needs your attention. It needs your engagement and it needs your follow through," Gentile said. "There are opportunities to seek funding which means that the various counties would have to come up and support that. There are opportunities to work together and revenue share."

NSWC Crane is located in Martin, Greene and Daviess counties.

Gentile pointed out that Indiana military bases have not faired well in past BRAC reviews.

"Crane has been through four such (BRAC) events and Indiana has lost every time. We have lost over 8,000 jobs in four previous BRACs. We certainly don't want to see that happen with this BRAC coming up in 2005," Gentile said.

Other Indiana military bases include Camp Atterbury Maneuver Training Center in Bartholomew and Johnson counties, Terre Haute Air National Guard Wing, Fort Wayne Air National Guard Wing, Grissom Air Reserve Base in Miami County and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Indianapolis.

Gentile said it is important that the county commissioners have representatives attend meetings of the West Gate at Crane Tech Park committee, Crane Technology, Inc., or SIBA.

Crane, the third largest U.S. Navy base in the world, employees more than 3,700 Navy and civilian workers and another 700 Army personnel. The base also supports more than 1,000 private contractors.

The base as three primary areas of expertise -- ordnance, electronic components and electronic warfare defense systems.

Greene County is presenting cooperating with Daviess and Martin counties in the development of a new Tech Park near the NWSC Crane base.

According to Gentile, Crane plays a major economic role in the area and in the entire state of Indiana.

In the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2004, Crane produced between $1.3 billion and 1.4 billion in revenue -- depositing at a rate of $1.3 million per day into the Indiana economy.

In Greene County, revenue generated by Crane produces 26 percent of the total revenue -- or $67 million annually.

SIBA has worked in the last 2 1/2 years to support Crane's value and lobby for its preservation and leverage for economic development.

"There's great potential for Crane," Gentile said. "Much of what it does matches real well with what the state sees as its primary initiatives for growth and development such as 21st century logistics, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and information technology."

He added, "There is certainly growth and development on the horizon. We want to capture that. We want to keep it and we want to be regionally strong. What does that mean? If there is a 20 percent increase, it means 500 more jobs in the area."

Gentile projected that the Department of Defense would submit a list of recommendations to the nine-person BRAC Commission appointed by the president by mid-May. (Nick Schneider, Linton IN Daily Citizen)