S.C. National Guard Unit Builds Relationships, Infrastructure for Afghan People

CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan - Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 178th Field Artillery are winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people by improving infrastructure in Kabul.

Members of the civil military operations section within the 178th are supervising the reconstruction process of schools and other infrastructure projects.

The Georgetown-based, South Carolina Army National Guard unit has been stationed at Camp Phoenix in Kabul for more than four months and has already helped alleviate many of the struggles Afghanis face daily. The civil military operations section has completed several projects, has plans for more, and has a goal of continuing to enhance living conditions throughout the area..[more]

Spouse Jobs Program to Relaunch in October

WASHINGTON, (July 20, 2010) - The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program will resume Oct. 25, but with some significant changes to the popular spouse employment program, a defense official announced today.

Changes include a reduction in the amount of financial aid, a change in the population eligible to receive that aid – from all military spouses to spouses of junior servicemembers - and more robust counseling services.

These changes bring the program, commonly known as MyCAA, back to its original intent of equipping military spouses of junior servicemembers with portable careers, such as in real estate or health care, Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said. The program was launched in November 2007 for spouses of junior servicemembers, and was expanded to all pay grades and programs of study in March 2009..[more]

Guardmembers Help Wounded Warriors through Turbulent Water

ARLINGTON, Va., (July 20, 2010) - With some trepidation, Douglass Rink rolls his kayak over and disappears under the water. He frees himself, emerges a short time later and assures his instructor, "I was a scuba diver before."

Escaping an overturned kayak takes skill and some nerve, and it's made more difficult when you have a prosthetic leg. But that doesn't bother Rink.

"It's a blast," he said. "I never tried this when I had two good legs, now it's even fun when I have only one.".[more]

Guard to Deploy to Southwest Border Aug. 1

WASHINGTON (July 19, 2010) – Starting Aug. 1, up to 1,200 National Guard troops will deploy to the Southwest border with Mexico Aug. 1, the chief of the National Guard Bureau said in a joint announcement with Obama administration officials at the Pentagon here today.

"We're very pleased to be in support of our interagency partners," Air Force GEN Craig McKinley said. The 1,200 troops will support Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

"We'll make sure that all our Soldiers and Airmen are well-qualified, well-integrated and well-briefed on the mission," McKinley said.