4th Regiment, Tennessee State Guard

	Welcome to the 4th Regiment Home Page
HOME PAGE HISTORY MISSION COMMAND RECRUITING SCHEDULE CONTACT INFO Two-time recipient of the Tennessee National Guard's Outstanding Unit Citation	Drill Schedule for all of 2012 Posted Regular drill dates and special missions are all posted on this page. And now it's in a format that you can print and post. Of course, like all things military, this schedule is likely to change as the year goes on, so be sure to check back periodically and make sure you have the latest information. You don't want to miss a thing this year! Fourth Regiment Gets "Social" At the urging of the Joint Public Affairs Office in Nashville, the 4th Regiment has now created a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Increasingly, our troops are getting smart phones and other mobile devices, and get more of their daily information through these gadgets. By having a presense on Facebook and through Twitter, Tennessee State Guard soldiers will now have the most up-to-the-minute news on what their unit is doing and links to other information that might interest or otherwise affect them. To access the Facebook page, just log onto Facebook and search for "4th Regiment TNSG". When you get to the page, click the "Like" button and you will receive every post on your "wall." Likewise, If you follow Twitter accounts, search for "@4thTNSG" and subscribe to our Tweets. Fourth Regiment Shines in Memphis Members of the 4th Regiment traveled across the state to help the 1st Regiment in their mission in May. The entire Tennessee State Guard participated in an 8-state National Level Exercise (NLE). The scenario: A major earthquake has struck along the New Madrid fault and Memphis is in shambles. The 4th Regiment packed up our communications gear and headed out across the state. Our mission was to assist the 164th Air Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard. Their base was hit and their communications systems were inoperative. Our mission was to go in, set up a High Frequency communications net that could exchange data and voice communications to other units as far away as Knoxville. To make the drill as realistic as possible, Master Sergeant Steve Robeson and First Lieutenant Jim Bowman constructed antenna masts out of thin strips of wood. Their thinking ... work with what you might find in the aftermath of an earthquake. So the thin strips of wood stood in for a wooden door that was ripped and bolted together end-to-end to make three masts tall enough to string a 100-foot dipole antenna across. Not only did the "wooden" mast work, the Signal Section of the 4th Regiment was able to hook up radios to a generator and, within 2 hours of arrival, transmit a test signal, first to Canada, then to the 3rd Regiment in Knoxville, 400 miles away. For three days, Signal teams received and transmitted well more than 100 messages ... all without error, using amateur radio equipment. The Commander of the 164th Airwing expressed his deep appreciation to the 1st and 4th Regiments for our professionalism and said that we exceeded their expectations during a very difficult drill. The 4th was also singled out for praise from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Adjutant General, MG Max Haston. The TNSG is currently looking to expand their capabilities in the way of communications by extending a recruiting effort aimed at the HAM radio community. HAM radio operators with at least a General Class FCC license may join, even if they are non-prior military service. National Guard Association of Tennessee More than half the members of the 4th Regiment, Tennessee State Guard attended the National Guard Association of Tennessee Conference in Murfreesboro on 5 March 2011. The meeting was part pep rally, part trade show. Vendors hawking military wares ... everything from eye protection to weapons systems ringed the hallways of the Embassy Suites hotel. Before the conference and during breaks, soldiers walked around learning about the latest gear to make them safer, more comfortable and better fighters. During the conference, the star of the show was Adjutant General, MG Max Haston. His presence sparked the fires of those in attendance. Guest speakers were also on hand, including newly-elected Governor Bill Haslam. Both U.S. Senators were on hand ... Senator Bob Corker, from Chattanooga, told the group he was advocating getting a four-star general from the National Guard a seat with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Several representatives from Congress were also on hand, including the 3rd District's newly-elected Congressman, Chuck Fleischmann. It was a good opportunity for those in attendance to see and meet those who are our voice in Washington, D.C. and for those representatives to see the men and women who swore to defend this country. Valuable Training Received from National Guard On 11 SEP 10 when most people around the country were honoring those who lost their lives in the Terrorist Attacks of 2001, members of the Tennessee Army National Guard and Tennessee State Guard worked together to ensure the state's readiness in the event of emergencies. While Army National Guard units are deployed, they often leave behind millions of dollars in equipment. Much of that is wheel stock. Military vehicles, that if left unattended for months on end, will fall into disrepair. This makes the vehicles incapable of performing their assigned tasks. Tennessee's Adjutant General, Major General Terry M. (Max) Haston called upon Brigadier General (TN) Kenneth Takasaki to assign the TNSG the mission of training to perform preventive maintenance on a variety of military vehicles from HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) or "HumVees to multi-wheeled HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck). More than 150 troops from across the state gathered in the motor pool of the Houston Barracks facility to receive training from the men who currently care for the fleet of vehicles left behind during deployment. State Guardsmen (and women) were trained in the proper maintenance techniques, including visual inspection for damage or wear, checking vital fluids and reporting problems to the maintenance staff. With literally thousands of vehicles in armories across the state, this job is vital to the readiness of the National Guard. This was the first large-scale joint training exercise between the two brother organizations. Early indicators are that it was a complete success. The TNSG was happy to move forward in its mission to be a force multiplier and the TNARNG was happy to have an essential task delegated to a well-trained and willing force. Two RAM Missions in Two Months In both September and October, the 4th Regiment participated in RAM missions in our AO. The September mission was in Cleveland on the 25th and 26th. It was a total success, serving 650 patients the first day and nearly as many the second. RAM is Remote Access Medical. The program was developed in the Amazon Rain Forest where founder Stan Brock spent 15 years with the Wapishana Indians. He lived the pain and suffering created by isolation from medical care. Brock founded the organization in 1985 and for years, he and his volunteer doctors, dentists and nurses have gone to remote areas of the world ... virtually unfamiliar with the CONCEPT of medical care, much less the PRACTICE, to help people in need. Sometimes that requires parachuting in to jungles to render aid. Unfortunately, it's not only third world countries that need the assistance provided by the RAM missions. More than 60% of Brock's mission are in rural America. The Tennessee State Guard has taken RAM on as one of its missions as well, providing security and organizational assistance to the personnel. With each new RAM mission, we learn and improve our ability to help. Coming up in 2010 we have two more missions. The one in Bradley County, now complete and one in Rhea County in October. We need volunteers who are willing to dedicate one entire weekend to helping those less fortunate receive the medical attention that could mean the difference between an existence of pain and suffering and a new outlook on life. Signal Section Gets Help As part of the re-structuring of the Signal Section of the Tennessee State Guard, personnel are encouraged to acquire an Amateur Radio Operator's License ... or HAM License. The minimum requirement is the Technician Class, but to fully participate in a state-wide network over the 2 or 6 meter bands, a General license is suggested. On Sunday, 22 AUG 2010, Lt. James Bowman (W4DFS) Regimental S-3, himself a licensed operator, gave volunteer personnel a free Ham-Cram course, then while the material was fresh in their minds, tested the personnel. More than a dozen members of the 4th Regiment attended the class and passed the test. They will be receiving their licenses from the Federal Communications Commission soon.
Copyright 2009, Tennessee State Guard. All rights reserved. Site created and maintained by 4th Regiment Public Affairs Office.

Welcome to the 4th Regiment Home Page

HOME PAGE

Two-time recipient of
the Tennessee National
Guard's Outstanding
Unit Citation

Drill Schedule for all of 2012 Posted

Regular drill dates and special missions are all posted on this page. And now it's in a format that you can print and post. Of course, like all things military, this schedule is likely to change as the year goes on, so be sure to check back periodically and make sure you have the latest information. You don't want to miss a thing this year!

Fourth Regiment Gets "Social"

At the urging of the Joint Public Affairs Office in Nashville, the 4th Regiment has now created a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Increasingly, our troops are getting smart phones and other mobile devices, and get more of their daily information through these gadgets. By having a presense on Facebook and through Twitter, Tennessee State Guard soldiers will now have the most up-to-the-minute news on what their unit is doing and links to other information that might interest or otherwise affect them.

To access the Facebook page, just log onto Facebook and search for "4th Regiment TNSG". When you get to the page, click the "Like" button and you will receive every post on your "wall." Likewise, If you follow Twitter accounts, search for "@4thTNSG" and subscribe to our Tweets.

Fourth Regiment Shines in Memphis

Robeson Tuning Members of the 4th Regiment traveled across the state to help the 1st Regiment in their mission in May. The entire Tennessee State Guard participated in an 8-state National Level Exercise (NLE). The scenario: A major earthquake has struck along the New Madrid fault and Memphis is in shambles.

The 4th Regiment packed up our communications gear and headed out across the state. Our mission was to assist the 164th Air Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard. Their base was hit and their communications systems were inoperative. Our mission was to go in, set up a High Frequency communications net that could exchange data and voice communications to other units as far away as Knoxville.

To make the drill as realistic as possible, Master Sergeant Steve Robeson and First Lieutenant Jim Bowman constructed antenna masts out of thin strips of wood. Their thinking ... work with what you might find in the aftermath of an earthquake. So the thin strips of wood stood in for a wooden door that was ripped and bolted together end-to-end to make three masts tall enough to string a 100-foot dipole antenna across.

Not only did the "wooden" mast work, the Signal Section of the 4th Regiment was able to hook up radios to a generator and, within 2 hours of arrival, transmit a test signal, first to Canada, then to the 3rd Regiment in Knoxville, 400 miles away. For three days, Signal teams received and transmitted well more than 100 messages ... all without error, using amateur radio equipment.

The Commander of the 164th Airwing expressed his deep appreciation to the 1st and 4th Regiments for our professionalism and said that we exceeded their expectations during a very difficult drill. The 4th was also singled out for praise from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the Adjutant General, MG Max Haston.

The TNSG is currently looking to expand their capabilities in the way of communications by extending a recruiting effort aimed at the HAM radio community. HAM radio operators with at least a General Class FCC license may join, even if they are non-prior military service.

National Guard Association of Tennessee

NGAT More than half the members of the 4th Regiment, Tennessee State Guard attended the National Guard Association of Tennessee Conference in Murfreesboro on 5 March 2011. The meeting was part pep rally, part trade show. Vendors hawking military wares ... everything from eye protection to weapons systems ringed the hallways of the Embassy Suites hotel. Before the conference and during breaks, soldiers walked around learning about the latest gear to make them safer, more comfortable and better fighters.

During the conference, the star of the show was Adjutant General, MG Max Haston. His presence sparked the fires of those in attendance. Guest speakers were also on hand, including newly-elected Governor Bill Haslam. Both U.S. Senators were on hand ... Senator Bob Corker, from Chattanooga, told the group he was advocating getting a four-star general from the National Guard a seat with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Several representatives from Congress were also on hand, including the 3rd District's newly-elected Congressman, Chuck Fleischmann. It was a good opportunity for those in attendance to see and meet those who are our voice in Washington, D.C. and for those representatives to see the men and women who swore to defend this country.

Valuable Training Received from National Guard

HMMWV On 11 SEP 10 when most people around the country were honoring those who lost their lives in the Terrorist Attacks of 2001, members of the Tennessee Army National Guard and Tennessee State Guard worked together to ensure the state's readiness in the event of emergencies. While Army National Guard units are deployed, they often leave behind millions of dollars in equipment. Much of that is wheel stock. Military vehicles, that if left unattended for months on end, will fall into disrepair. This makes the vehicles incapable of performing their assigned tasks. Tennessee's Adjutant General, Major General Terry M. (Max) Haston called upon Brigadier General (TN) Kenneth Takasaki to assign the TNSG the mission of training to perform preventive maintenance on a variety of military vehicles from HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) or "HumVees to multi-wheeled HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck).

truck More than 150 troops from across the state gathered in the motor pool of the Houston Barracks facility to receive training from the men who currently care for the fleet of vehicles left behind during deployment. State Guardsmen (and women) were trained in the proper maintenance techniques, including visual inspection for damage or wear, checking vital fluids and reporting problems to the maintenance staff. With literally thousands of vehicles in armories across the state, this job is vital to the readiness of the National Guard. This was the first large-scale joint training exercise between the two brother organizations. Early indicators are that it was a complete success. The TNSG was happy to move forward in its mission to be a force multiplier and the TNARNG was happy to have an essential task delegated to a well-trained and willing force.

Two RAM Missions in Two Months

RAM logo In both September and October, the 4th Regiment participated in RAM missions in our AO.

The September mission was in Cleveland on the 25th and 26th. It was a total success, serving 650 patients the first day and nearly as many the second.

RAM is Remote Access Medical. The program was developed in the Amazon Rain Forest where founder Stan Brock spent 15 years with the Wapishana Indians. He lived the pain and suffering created by isolation from medical care.

Brock founded the organization in 1985 and for years, he and his volunteer doctors, dentists and nurses have gone to remote areas of the world ... virtually unfamiliar with the CONCEPT of medical care, much less the PRACTICE, to help people in need. Sometimes that requires parachuting in to jungles to render aid.

RAM Unfortunately, it's not only third world countries that need the assistance provided by the RAM missions. More than 60% of Brock's mission are in rural America.

The Tennessee State Guard has taken RAM on as one of its missions as well, providing security and organizational assistance to the personnel. With each new RAM mission, we learn and improve our ability to help. Coming up in 2010 we have two more missions. The one in Bradley County, now complete and one in Rhea County in October. We need volunteers who are willing to dedicate one entire weekend to helping those less fortunate receive the medical attention that could mean the difference between an existence of pain and suffering and a new outlook on life.

Signal Section Gets Help

Holland and Basham await testing

As part of the re-structuring of the Signal Section of the Tennessee State Guard, personnel are encouraged to acquire an Amateur Radio Operator's License ... or HAM License. The minimum requirement is the Technician Class, but to fully participate in a state-wide network over the 2 or 6 meter bands, a General license is suggested.

On Sunday, 22 AUG 2010, Lt. James Bowman (W4DFS) Regimental S-3, himself a licensed operator, gave volunteer personnel a free Ham-Cram course, then while the material was fresh in their minds, tested the personnel. More than a dozen members of the 4th Regiment attended the class and passed the test. They will be receiving their licenses from the Federal Communications Commission soon.