North Dakota Guard's newest General Officer
With three decades of service with the N.D. Guard to her credit, Jackie Huber was promoted to brigadier general on April 22 at Bismarck State College’s National Energy Center of Excellence. Huber is the second female to be promoted to general officer within the North Dakota Army National Guard’s ranks. Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann presided over the ceremony.
Huber will be assigned as the assistant adjutant general – Army. In this position, she will serve as advisor to the adjutant general on issues related to Army Guard strategic leadership, policy and personnel. She will also serve as a member of the North Dakota National Guard’s Joint Executive Council.
Master Sgt. Kevin Hopfauf and 1st Sgt. Elizabeth “Lisa” Ouradnik unfurl a U.S. Army brigadier general flag as its description and purpose is read to the attendees of Jackie Huber’s promotion to brigadier general ceremony. American military officers of general and flag (U.S. Navy) rank are entitled to display a flag appropriate to their rank and branch when they participate or attend various occasions.
Huber has held many key positions including command of the 129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, the 164th Engineer Battalion and the 164th Regional Training Institute. She deployed overseas in support of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm with the 191st Military Police Company and in 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 142nd Engineer Battalion.
Guard signs Tuition Waiver Agreement with UTTC
On April 23, the North Dakota National Guard celebrated a historic agreement with the United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) in Bismarck. Guard members attending UTTC can now use their State Tuition Assistance (STA) benefits. UTTC's decision to waive 25% of tuition costs as a part of the agreement will allow the college to participate in the North Dakota National Guard tuition assistance program opening the door for members of the NDNG Guard to utilize their state tuition assistance benefits while at UTTC.
UTTC is the first tribal college in North Dakota to sign on to the STA program and the North Dakota National Guard will pursue agreements with all of the Tribal Colleges in the state. There are currently about 430 undergraduate and graduate National Guard members using STA at colleges around North Dakota.
9-1-1 Dispatch - Just In Time Delivery Services
On the morning of April 22, 9-1-1 telephone services dispatcher April Johnson took an emergency call from a man whose wife was in labor with her fourth child; 39 weeks with contractions that were four minutes apart. April instructed them to lay the woman down, advising her to breathe through the contractions. Three minutes later, April heard the mother's scream and then heard the baby crying. The father was instructed to wrap the baby in a blanket and place him on the mother's chest. The ambulance arrived five minutes later. The entire call took only nine minutes. 9-1-1 dispatch operators are the face of the State Radio Communications System (SRCS) within the N.D. Department of Emergency Services and the Office of the Adjutant General. SRCS has over 4,000 users representing 287 local, state, and federal agencies.
CST Exercise in Colorado
The 81st Civil Support Team (CST) participated in a joint exercise at the Disaster Management Institute (DMI) in Aurora, Colorado. Also participating were South Dakota's 82nd CST and Wyoming's 84th CST. DMI provided civilian evaluators and an incident commander as the exercise developed into a complex, multi-day, multi-hazard response. CSTs usually practice Relief In Place operations, but this scenario allowed them to practice joint and concurrent operations which improved their readiness.
CSTs support civil authorities in the event of the use, or threatened use, of a weapon of mass destruction such as chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear explosives.
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Legislative Update
. SB2016 - Office of the Adjutant General Budget. This bill was signed by the Governor and includes State Tuition Assistance equal to $4.7M and $600K for the purpose of pursuing lease or buy options with land owners for range expansion at Camp Grafton Training Center - South for the N.D. National Guard. The Department of Emergency Services which consists of the Division of Homeland Security and State Radio Communications System, will receive funding for computer-aided dispatch equipment and message switch system upgrades.
. SB2306 - Military Spouse Licensure - The bill sponsor, Sen. Scott Meyer, worked with Rep. Vernon Laning to produce language that was acceptable. The bill was signed by the Governor on April 26. This will help expedite civilian professional licensing for military spouses that move to the state.
. HB1095 - State Active Duty Job Protection. The bill unanimously passed the House on April 16 with amendments adopted by the Senate the same day. The Governor has signed it.
This concludes updates on the Office of the Adjutant General (OTAG) initiatives for the 66th North Dakota Legislative Session. We had an incredibly successful session which will greatly assist the North Dakota National Guard and Department of Emergency Services in accomplishing its missions over the next two years. We are also proud to have supported numerous state-wide military initiatives that received broad support during the session. We intend to build upon already outstanding relationships and partnerships that have been developed over time before and during the session. Stay tuned for opportunities in the near future to engage with the OTAG and support other state-wide military initiatives as we prepare for the 67th North Dakota Legislative Session. Finally, we are grateful for the support that we received from the Governor and the many legislators that sponsored, co-sponsored, and voted in favor of our bills. Thank you.
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