Texas High School Foo tball Season Has Officially Begun! Time To Get On The Field!

Recruiting And Retention Welcomes Its Newest Graduates From Recruiter Basic Training.

The Monthly Recruiting Newsletter of the Texas Army National Guard

September 2015

The Minuteman

New Smartphone App!New Recruiting Platform!New TXARNG Website!

Texas Association of Broadcasters Honors TXARNG at Annual Conference.

Photo by Lucia Briones

“Lead from the front.” - Audie MurphyThe Minuteman

Keeping Up With The Times

New Website: In order to better maintain security against hackers, the TXARNG website will now be hosted by the Texas Military Forces Public Affairs Office. The new URL is www.txmf.us/army-guard, however, www.txarng.com will automatically redirect to the new site.

When it comes to the newest and hottest trends in the tech industry, trying to keep your leads and Soldier’s atten-tion, while maintaining security, can be a pretty daunting task. Starting September 1st, Recruiting and Retention will receive a few changes, as well as additions, to its social media platforms. These new sites and applications will not only efficiently engage potential leads, but provide better online assistance to currently enlisted Soldiers and to their families.

TXARNG Debuts on Instagram: With more than 30,000 combined followers on Facebook and Twit-ter, its time to take it to the next level. At just 80 posts to begin with, @TXARNG is already beating 30 other National Guard accounts! If you would like to have your photo posted to the new Instagram account, please submit your recruiting event pho-tos to S5 Marketing.

BFAC Texas Guard App: Soldiers and potential leads will now have the ability to easily get in contact with their local recruiter. The new app, available on Apple and Android, can provide basic contact information, photo galleries, current benefits, and even a quick-five question “Learn More” survey which will go directly to their department’s NCOIC. When utilized correctly, this can be a prime feature for RRNCOs when covering onsite events.

By

MAJ August T. Murray,

Ph.dCommander, USA

Recruiting and Retention BN

“Importance of Individual Readiness”

September is an important month for many reasons, Including the end of our mission and the preparation for the new mission year.

In addition, I have asked leaders to place spe-cial emphasis in September on Mandatory Training Tasks, NCOES SSD, and on Medical-Dental Readiness.

Please take advantage of the last two weeks in September to complete your SSD, become fully medical ready and knock out training tasks.

I ask that all Soldiers in this command maximize their mission days in October by scheduling elective leaves or schools before or after October; as this is the most impor-tant month of the mission year.

In addition, plan for and take advantage of block leave later this year during Thanksgiv-ing and the Christmas and New Year holiday-weeks.

I am grateful to serve with you and grate-ful for your efforts. Let’s finish September strong, and make ready for the new FY!

Texas Strong! Texas Proud!

Photo by Lucia Briones

Photo Courtesy of TM 9

SFC Thomas GardnerSFC Eric McLeod SFC Ashley Jeanes

Congratulations to the following Recruiters for receiving badge upgrades in August:

On August 6th, the Texas Association of Broadcasters held its annu-al conference at the Rennaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas. In keeping with tradition, the Texas Army National Guard was in attendence and opened the award ceremony with the Color Guard and guest speaker. This year’s special guest speaker was 71st Troop Command Commander, BG Sean Ryan.

TXARNG and TAB Celebrate Five Years of Strong Partnership

www.facebook.com/texasarmynationalguard

www.txarng.com

www.twitter.com/texasguard

www.flickr.com/photos/txarng_recruiting

www.instagram.com/txarng

From the Commander

New School Year, New Possibilities! Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets welcomed 898 new freshmen this year. On August 26th, MAJ Murrary and RGN III/TM 9’s, SSG Smith, addressed nearly 200 new cadets about the opportunites of joining the Texas Army National Guard.

From the Commander

Each year Texas Army National Guard takes part in TAB’s Non-Com-mercial Sustaining Announcement Program. This generous pro-gram is designed to donate airtime to the campaigns of non-profit and government agencies. By multiplying an agency’s budget of 3:1, TAB’s NCSA program provides statewide coverage of important messages that might otherwise go unseen or unheard.

Congratulations to the 1st Battalion (Airborne) 143rd Infantry Regi-ment Paratroopers And Special Olympics (El Paso) for winning First Place in the Fire Truck Pull event, held at the Special Olympics Texas - Central Texas Area!

The team beat out 17 other teams in the Non-EMS division by pulling a fire truck with the fastest time, weighing more than 55,000 pounds. Fantastic job to everyone who competed on August 30th!

Texas HS football season has begun and with it comes many opporunities to interact with fellow students, par-ents and coaches. Just ask SSG Wagoner, who was spot-ted at the Cedar Creek Eagles game on August 29th. “I think it’s so important to get embedded into your local community, whether it be a football game, the lunch room, or lunch at a local joint. Building a rapport with the community will help me bring in our next genera-tion of Citizen Soldiers.”

A quick look of events that happened around the state last month

On August 15th, the Warrant Officer Section participated inthe Federal Recognition Board by sending two enlisted mem-bers seeking appointments to become warrant officers. In order for a warrant officer to be concurrently appointed as a Reserve Warrant Officer of the Army, the State action must be federally recognized. Federal recognition is the process which ensures that officers appointed by the States meet the qualifications required for service in the Federal Armed Forces.

Attending candidates include WOC Ramone Martinez and WOC Chelsea Ruiz.

WOC Martinez is seeking to become a qualified 920A Property Accounting Technician. He will be responsible for locating and acquires standard and nonstandard equipment and supplies

The Minuteman

www.nationalguard.com

Around Texas

Rec. & Ret. BN Commander, MAJ Murray and RGN I Commander, MAJ Crady, journeyed to El Paso and met with all members at both armories.

Left: TM 3 Warriors at Live Fire demon-station. Right: LTC Mike Torres ad-dressing the 3-133 FA BN.

through military and non-military supply sources to meet unit readiness and operational requirements.

Candidate Ruiz will be filling a vacancy in the 72nd IBCT as a Network Management Technician (255N). She will be responsible for management and supervision of local and wide area networks. In addition, she will play a vital role in the planning, installation, administering, integration, operation, and servicing of network systems.

Photo Courtesy of TM 3

Photo Courtesy of SSG Diane Wagoner Photo Courtesy of 1-143rd Infantry Regiment

And Abroad R&R / BSM

POCs

TXARNG R&R welcomed 11 new Recruiters (Class 15-004) to the field on August 28th. The 11 Soldiers spent two-weeks at Camp Mabry during Recruiter Basic Training.

Commander MAJ August T. Murray

(512) 782-1383

Executive OfficerMAJ Jim Carney

(512) 782-5404

Command Sergeant MajorCSM Kristopher Dyer

(512) 782-5163

BSM SGMSGM Richard Grantham

(512) 782-5444

Strength Manager Assistant MSG Eric Miles

512-422-6958

72nd IBCT SSG Jimmy Smith

(936) 205-2258

56th IBCT SFC Francisco Torres

(512) 537-4841

36th CAB SFC John Homan

john.a.homan4.mil@mail.mil

71st BFSBSSG Bryan Calhoun

(210) 787-9127

176 th ENSFC Craig McCarty

(512) 565-8849

DOMOPS (JTF-71/136 MEB)SFC James Banks

(512) 517-6742

36th SUSSFC Chaz Patterson

(254) 424-1039

TRP CMD / JFHQ / R&R / 36ID SFC Carl Moore(512) 964-1361

RCT / ISTSFC Veronica Torres

(512) 782-1471

OSMSFC George Lloyd

(512) 782-5491

The Minuteman

www.nationalguard.com

Congratulations, RBT Graduates!

Photo by Steve Johnson

Instructors SSG Gojanovich and SFC Moore instructed and certified twenty-seven Soldiers to be Retention NCOs throughout the Texas Army National Guard.

Retention course is two long days with hands-on training using necessary pro-grams to ensure Soldiers are being properly trained to extend Texas National Guard Soldiers. Within every battalion, unit commanders selected their most quali-fied, motivated Soldiers for this position.

SSG Lauer, who is currently deployed out to Egypt at Camp Sinai on a peace keeping mission, is still working the three tenants of recruiting and retention. He recently reenlisted 26 soldiers who are also deployed on the same mission. SSG Lauer has been apart of Recruiting Command since 2006, serving different roles such as a RRNCO and RSP NCO for Region III’s Team 9. Suffice it to say, SSG Lauer looks forward in returning to Texas from his third deployment later this year.

Photo by SSG Chris Gojanovich

Recruiting & Retention Command Trains 27 New Unit Retention NCOs!