For more than a week, 35-hundred soldiers, mostly American but also a smattering of other nationalities, have been honing their combat skills in the Black Hills in the National Guard’s training exercise called Golden Coyote.

During one of the combat training scenarios, a group of Danish Home Guard “civilian” soldiers proved they can hang with the Yanks while their American counterparts learned that language isn’t as much of a barrier as they thought.

Staff Sgt. Eduardo Hertado and five other American military police augmented a 30-soldier Danish force protection unit in a platoon-sized exercise Tuesday. (photo by Jack Siebold)

In the heat of a firefight, communication is key to survival.  For Staff Sergeant Eduardo Hertado of the 94th Military Police, a National Guard unit from New Hampshire, his ability to understand his squad leader is severely hampered by his … well … nonexistent Danish.  “We didn’t know how we were going to communicate with them,” Hertado said.

Hertado and five other MPs were tossed into a Danish mixed force protection platoon as part of a training exercise in Custer State Park Tuesday.  With only one previous encounter a couple of days ago at the squad level, this multi-national platoon exercise was going to be a challenge.

“Luckily they all spoke English and when they were speaking to each other over the comm, I had one of them translate to me, telling me what was going on at all times,” Hertado explained.   “I felt like I was part of the team, not an outsider.”

Fortunately for the Americans, Danes are about as good with their English as they are with their M-16 assault rifles.  Both skills were put to the test in several attack scenarios.  The four-hour mounted patrol exercise drilled the platoon on not only hostile action but also communication and how they handled their own casualties.

Soldiers use an up-armored Humvee for protection as they move into position against a hostile force. (photo by Jack Siebold)

Sgt. Klaus Wohlert, a light reconnaissance soldier with 26 years of active and Home Guard service, is familiar with American culture but only as a tourist.  This was his first time going shoulder-to-shoulder with American soldiers.  “The first couple of days we more or less worked as our own platoon, with the Danish guard.  And quite quickly we started to mix up with the Americans,” Wohlert said.

“I actually think, maybe some of them (American soldiers) were a bit surprised, because we are mostly civilians, that we will be soldiers they can rely on.  I think they trust us if we are next to them, and the other way around,” Wohlert added.

Hertado was one of the surprised Americans.  While both the American Army National Guard and Danish Home Guard have similar tactics, the MPs are noted to “shoot and scoot” when engaging hostile forces, staying with their convoy for protection.  The Danes have a different approach.

“Dismounting with them, at first I didn’t know what to expect,” Hertado said.  “I thought we were just going to dismount and walk up the road and just see if there was a possible IED.  I didn’t expect to go running up and down the hills looking for hostiles.  And that’s what we ended up doing.  And we communicated effectively.”

A Danish Home Guard soldier engages hostile forces during a mounted patrol exercise. (photo by Jack Siebold)

For Wohlert, Golden Coyote was the final test in his platoon’s ability to perform combat missions.  Besides never having worked with American soldiers before, until three months ago, the 30 Danes hadn’t even worked with each other.

“We came over here to see if we are as good as them.  No offense to anybody but yes we are, actually,” Wohlert said.   ”I think that’s a very good experience for us but also for the Americans.”

As hundreds of firefighters from South Dakota, Nebraska and Northern Wyoming head to Colorado to fight a string of deadly blazes, training is under way in the Southern Black Hills to ensure they are prepared.

Four Black Hawk helicopter crews with the South Dakota National Guard are completing their annual proficiency training. Crews on the ground direct crews in the air to a target that simulates the fire line.

The bucket drops are a cooperative effort between state firefighters and the National Guard. It’s a partnership that’s crucial to training for wildfires here at home, and in neighboring states.

“The training today is very realistic. First of all, in any fire you’ve got wind. You’ve got affects from the fire  itself producing heat which affects the wind greatly. And so, for the guys in the air having a little bit of wind, the  training today is a good simulator for them,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Beck with the South Dakota National Guard.

“In fact, this guard unit was ready to get called down to Colorado in the last 24 hours but that emergency has gone past. But, we’re ready to go for the rest of the season now,” said Assistant Chief of Operations for South Dakota Wildland Fire Jim Strain.

South Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming have dispatched 114 people to Colorado as well as two contract helicopters and eight engines.

KOTA Territory News

submitted by Maj. Anthony Deiss, South Dakota Army National Guard

The commander-in chief of the South Dakota National Guard, Gov. Dennis Daugaard, visited his Soldiers Saturday participating in the Golden Coyote training exercise in the Black Hills. Daugaard was able to witness operations for the 29th annual exercise at Camp Rapid and in Custer State Park.

During his visit, Daugaard met with Soldiers from the 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade of Sioux Falls, the 155th Engineer Company of Wagner and Rapid City, the 153rd Engineer Battalion of Huron and Company A, 139th Brigade Support Battalion of Redfield and Watertown, and had an opportunity to discuss the training they have been undergoing during the exercise.

“It’s impressive to see the operations, training and the projects the National Guard troops are completing,” said Daugaard. “It’s a great exercise and they’re doing a great job!”

A Danish combat engineer and his American counterpart move up toward an “urban” area the unit plans to assault in a Golden Coyote exercise. (photo by Jack Siebold)

Daugaard also had the opportunity to see his National Guard Soldiers training alongside troops from Denmark and the United Kingdom.

“Seeing the South Dakota National Guard working beside troops from other nations is a wonderful thing, because we know that in a real-world environment – when there is a military need in Afghanistan, Iraq or any other part of the world there’s conflict – we will often work together as NATO troops or as a multi-national force,” said Daugaard. “It makes sense to practice together so we’re ready when we need to serve together.”

Daugaard said he was particularly pleased with the training and work that is being accomplished with many of the community service projects as part of the exercise, such as the construction of a new wardrobe building at the Black Hills Playhouse.

“It’s especially great to see training being done not just in a way that builds skills, but also in a way that creates value,” said Daugaard, of the construction project. “Here, we’re training electricians, carpenters and plumbers, but we’re also doing something practical and useful for the community. So, at the end of the day they’ll be trained and know their skills even better and have worked together with countrymen, foreign friends and have created something of value.”

This year exercise includes more than 3,500 service members from 55 units representing 22 states, which includes soldiers from five allied nations from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Canada, Kosovo and Germany. Units come from multiple branches of military service – Army, Navy and Air Force – to receive relevant training opportunities in support of overseas contingency operations, homeland defense and community support missions.

Mammoth Day was celebrated for many years at The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD Inc. and this year we are bringing it back with many new activities.

Hot Springs Mayor Don DeVries has proclaimed June 28^th as “Mammoth Day” in Hot Springs.

The special Mammoth Day activities will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28^th on the front lawn at The Mammoth Site.  There is no charge for these activities.

From 11:00 – 2:00 there will be Tusk Toss (ring toss on a tusk replica), Bean Bag toss (with mammoth dung replicas), Putt-Putt hole (one-hole golf using mammoth rib replica or Giant short-faced bear femur replica as the club).  There will be coloring, face painting and an etching table for youth and adults to participate in.

At 1:45 there will be an “Ice Age Costume” Contest and “Best Mammoth Sound” contest.

The Mammoth Site is open daily from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the last tour leaving at 7:00 p.m.  Regular tour and education programs will be held in addition to the Mammoth Day activities, at the normal admission fee schedule.  Make reservations for one of our Educational Programs and enjoy “Mammoth Day” in Hot Springs.

“In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, sex, and familial status.

Also at the Mammoth Site:

The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, SD has created a “Family Pass” to help visitors alleviate some of the higher fuel costs and still be able to enjoy one of the Black Hills quality family attractions.

The “Family Pass” is good for not only Parents or Guardians and their children under the age of 18, but is also available to a growing number of travelers who are grandparents and grandchildren under the age of 18.

The price of the “Family Pass” is $40.00 plus tax and is available when purchasing admission tickets at the front counter.

The Mammoth Site still has a “Family Membership” which is available for Parents or Guardians and children under the age of 18 and includes a membership pin, newsletters and special “member” functions for $49.00 + tax.

The Mammoth Site is the World’s largest mammoth research center and is open daily from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the last tour leaving at 7:00 p.m.

]]> http://mytown.kotatv.com/southern-hills/2013/06/17/mammoth-day-returns-to-hot-springs/feed/ 0 http://mytown.kotatv.com/southern-hills/2013/06/17/sculptors-hit-the-hills-for-show/ http://mytown.kotatv.com/southern-hills/2013/06/17/sculptors-hit-the-hills-for-show/#post-comments Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:59:13 +0000 mytown-editor http://mytown.kotatv.com/southern-hills/?p=3001 Continue reading →]]> “Sculpture in the Hills,” the only juried sculpture show and sale in the Black Hills, will be presented by the Hill City Arts Council June 28-30 on Main Street in downtown Hill City, SD. The event will feature the works of 21 artists from nine states. “Sculpture in the Hills” is housed in a large tent, so the show is on, rain or shine. Parking in downtown Hill City is free.

“Sculpture in the Hills” will open with a Sneak Preview Party 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 28, including hors d’oeuvres from the Alpine Inn and the jurors’ announcement of Best in Show. Admission is $25 per person, and tickets may be purchased in advance by calling 605-574-0260 or visiting arts venues throughout the town.

Here is a link to the Hill City Arts Council story.

South Dakota artists won all but one category at the 23rd Gift from Mother Earth Celebration art show at Crazy Horse Memorial. However, the top prize – Best of Show – went to Navajo rug maker Juanita Bancroft of Tuba City, Ariz.

Juanita Bancroft of Tuba City, Ariz., earned best of show at the Gift from Mother Earth Celebration art show.

Weaving the traditional “storm pattern” of black, white, gray and red took about two months to complete, mostly over weekends and occasional spare moments after work and household chores, she said. A first-time entrant at the Crazy Horse show, Bancroft also won runner-up honors in the beading and quillwork division.

Exhibitors at the annual show and sale of western-style and Native American artwork are featured throughout the Indian Museum of North America and the Welcome Center in the Crazy Horse visitor complex. Artisans will be at their booths over the Father’s Day weekend, from at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Weekend admission is free with three cans of food per person or monetary gifts for the Feeding South Dakota food bank.

Art show division winners announced Friday were:

Beadwork & quillwork: 1.) Ardis McRae, Lakota, from Rapid City, beaded belt and necklace set; 2. Juanita Bancroft, beaded barrette; 3. McRae, beaded wine glass stems.

Crafts: 1.) Jerry Hoenke, Rapid City, hawk axe; 2. Hoenke, fox jaw necklace; 3. Orlando Palomino, Moore, Okla., ocarina

Jewelry: 1.) Carol Hatathlie, Navajo, Custer, bracelet; 2. Jose’ Farinango, Oakland Gardens, N.Y., feather earrings; 3. Rosabelle Shepherd, Navajo, Sanders, Ariz., necklace with pendant.

Painting: 1.) Del Iron Cloud, Lakota, Rapid City, “A Touch of Hope; 2.) Quinton Maldonado, Lakota, Kyle, “Tasunke Witko” ledger art; 3.) Van B. St. John III, Lakota, Howes, S.D., “Sacred Paints”

Pottery: 1.) Megan Sweets, Lakota, Sioux Falls, ruffled bowl; 2.) Deb Burckhard, Rapid City, horsehair vase with antler; 3.) Burckhard, horsehair vase.

Sculpture & Carving: 1. Richard Tucker, Custer, bronze pronghorn; 2. Tucker, “Rising,” bronze duck; 3. Orlando Palomino, Moore, Okla., Indian flute.

Crazy Horse Memorial is on Highway 16-385 between Custer and Hill City. For details, call 673-4681, email memorial@crazyhorse.org or visit www.crazyhorsememorial.org.

The mission of the nonprofit Crazy Horse Memorial, established in 1948, is to help honor and preserve the historic heritage and living cultures of North America’s Native American people.

South Dakota Wildland Fire Division held its 2^nd annual Engine Academy in Pierre, SD during the first week of June.

Safety was the primary focus as students performed exercises. The Academy familiarized new and returning firefighting seasonals with multiple types of fire engines and equipment.

“We provided outdoor hands-on training, rather than classroom time,” said Rob Lehmann, training officer for South Dakota Wildland Fire Division. “Students were very engaged and worked well as a team.”

The 22 participating students worked side-by-side practicing shelter deployments, pump operations, hose deployments and driving courses. They also participated in daily equipment checks and became familiar with other district engines to be able to adapt to different situations.

Division employees from the Rapid City, Lead, Hot Springs and Custer State Park field offices participated in the exercises.

“This was my first year attending the academy,” said Cassie Christy, urban interface fuels technician with South Dakota Wildland Fire Division. “I feel confident that I’ll be safer on the fire line with the knowledge that I’ve gained.”

South Dakota Wildland Fire can be found on Twitter @SDWildlandFire and on Facebook by searching SD Wildland Fire.

Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry, generating over $21 billion in annual economic activity and employing more than 122,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture’s mission is to promote, protect, preserve and improve this industry for today and tomorrow. Visit us online at http://sdda.sd.gov or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

submitted by Maj. Anthony Deiss, South Dakota National Guard

A memorial ceremony will be held to dedicate an interpretive site to honor the North Carolina Air National Guard (NCANG) Modular Airborne Firefighting System 7 (MAFFS-7) crew that crashed July 1, 2012, while supporting the White Draw Fire.

The ceremony will be held July 1 at 10 a.m. (MDT) – one year from the date of the fatal crash – along Hwy 18, approximately seven miles north of Edgemont, near the point of origin of the fire. Four members of the six-person air crew died when strong winds out of a thunderstorm caused the air tanker to impact the ground on a ridge top northeast of Edgemont.

Four of the six airmen aboard the firefighting C-130 were killed in the crash.

The MAFFS-7 C-130 aircraft that crashed was from the NCANG’s145th Airlift Wing based at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Killed were Lt. Col. Paul Mikeal, 42, of Mooresville; Maj. Joseph McCormick, 36, of Belmont; Maj. Ryan David, 35, of Boone; and Senior Master Sgt. Robert Cannon, 50, of Charlotte. Two survived but were seriously injured – Chief Master Sgt. Andy Huneycutt and Sgt. Josh Marlowe of Boiling Springs.

For the past few months, South Dakota National Guard and Black Hills National Forest officials have been working together to construct a parking area and make room for interpretive signs that will tell the story of the fire and the fatal accident.

“It is a distinct honor for the South Dakota National Guard to play a role in memorializing the dedicated Airmen from North Carolina who lost their lives and were injured performing that critical mission,” said Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, adjutant general of the SDNG.  “The citizens of this state are forever indebted to those Airmen and their family members.”

Visitors to the interpretive site will be able to see the ridge where the aircraft crashed while dropping fire retardant on the White Draw Fire.

“The site will be a permanent location for the public to visit, pause, honor and reflect on the selfless service of the brave Airmen from North Carolina that fought the White Draw Fire,” said Craig Bobzien, Black Hills National Forest supervisor.

Because of the site’s small area, the dedication ceremony will by invitation only for approximately 100 invitees, which includes state government officials, members of the North Carolina and South Dakota National Guard, Black Hills National Forest officials, family members of the MAFFS-7 crew, and local government and community leaders, as well as members of the news media.

Planned speakers for the ceremony include Lt. Gov. Matt Michels, Maj. Gen. Tim Reisch, Maj. Gen. Gregory Lusk, adjutant general of the NCNG, Craig Bobzien, and Michael Ortner, Fall River County Commission.

The site will be open for public viewing following the dedication ceremony.

Good news from the federal Veterans Administration has led Gov. Dennis Daugaard to cancel the special legislative session that had been called for Saturday, June 22.

Here is the message that was sent to state lawmakers this morning (Wednesday, June 12):

Members of the South Dakota Legislature:

I am writing today with new information from the federal Veterans Administration that is good news about the State Veterans Home project.  Due to this good news, I will be canceling the special session that I had called for June 22.

As you know, I called a special legislative session after bids for the Veterans Home project came in significantly higher than was estimated.  I also accepted the low bid for the project, contingent on approval from the State Legislature to appropriate the additional funds.

As the materials sent to you on May 31 explained, we believed that delaying construction of the project into next year would lead to the State losing a $23.6 million grant from the federal Veterans Administration, as well as the loss of eligibility for Medicaid.  A special session was the only way to appropriate the necessary funds without delaying the project.

That is no longer the case.  We have been working with federal VA officials to find a way around this deadline.  Yesterday, we received word that the grant can be extended so that we have until February 2014, rather than June 2013, to finalize construction plans.   We can also continue to be eligible for Medicaid, so long as work on a new facility is ongoing.

This additional time will allow us to revisit the current plans, seek a scaled-back redesign, and rebid the entire project.

I have spent the last three weeks closely scrutinizing this project, with the hope that cost savings could be found to reduce the cost of the project.  When I wrote to you on May 22, I said that I didn’t believe that we could cut the cost of this project by $10 million and still build the facility that our veterans need.  I now believe that additional cost savings are possible.

Now that we have received additional time, I am ordering that the entire project be reevaluated, redesigned, and rebid.  We owe it to the taxpayers to be certain that we are building a durable, quality, and affordable facility.  Scull Construction has agreed to set aside our contingent acceptance of the bid, and I very much appreciate that.

I am hopeful that design changes could lead to a total cost that we can all feel more comfortable with, although I would caution you that construction costs in the Black Hills do seem to be higher than many regions of the country.  There will be additional information over the next several months, and a new plan will be presented to the 2014 Legislature.

Finally, I want to thank you all for the patience you have shown as we have worked through this difficult process.  I know that many legislators had to change plans to attend the June 22 special session, and I truly appreciate that.  We all want to honor our veterans with a home that will meet their needs for decades to come, even as we maintain our responsibility to the taxpayers we serve.

Thank you.

Dennis

submitted by Robin EH. Bagley, Custer Area Chamber of Commerce

Don’t miss all the fun this Independence Day in Custer with the Old Time Country Fourth Celebration July 3 – 5. Spend the holiday enjoying a Children’s Fair, arts & crafts fair, live music, frontier reenactors, family games and races, parades, and fireworks!

Children’s Fair at Way Park (Free and open to the public)

July 3:  12 pm – 3 pm and July 4: 11 am – 4 pm: Old-time games, live music, eating contests, and more! Also, don’t miss the family games and races on July 3 from 1 pm – 3 pm and again on July 4 from 12 pm – 2 pm.

Old Time Country Fair (Arts & Crafts)

July 4 – 6: 10 am – 6 pm: Arts & crafts fair located at the 1881 Courthouse Museum.

Parades (Free and open to the public)

July 4: 10 am:  Kids’ Parade to be followed by the Patriots’ Parade, downtown Custer. Flag-raising ceremony with the National Anthem and a 21-gun salute following the parade at 11 am the 5^th Street flagpole.

Fireworks (Free and open to the public)

July 4: Live music starts on Pageant Hill, 8^th and Canal Streets, at 6 pm and continues until the Custer Fire Department’s fireworks start, around 9:30 pm.

You should see Independence Day in Custer! For more information, please contact the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce at 605-673-2244 or visit www.custersd.com.