Lt. Col. Warren Pauling (left) with the North Dakota National Guard's demobilization team welcomes home 1st. Sgt. Richard Marschner, Mandan, as he exits the plane at Camp Atterbury, Ind., on July 18. Marschner served as the 1st Sgt. with the North Dakota Army National Guard's 957th Liaison Monitoring Team with the KFOR 12 contingent. Marschner is at Camp Atterbury participating in the demobilization process before returning home to North Dakota. Photo by Staff Sgt. Billie Jo Lorius, N.D. National Guard Public Affairs

Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and other senior leaders, greeted nearly 400 North Dakota Soldiers who have spent the past year serving as part of the Kosovo Force 12 as they arrived at their respective demobilization stations at Camp Atterbury, Ind., and Fort Benning, Ga., July 18 to 20.

The first group of about 225 Guardsmen arrived in Ind. on July 18 with the second group of about 131 soldiers arriving this evening about 8:20 p.m. About 15 soldiers that were stationed in Pristina, Kosovo and Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina arrived at Fort Benning that weekend. They are arrived home to North Dakota by the end of the week after participating in the demobilization process.

“It’s a great day in North Dakota when soldiers return home from a successful mission,” Sprynczynatyk said. “Let’s remember all of the other North Dakota soldiers and airmen still serving in countries all across the world. Their ongoing efforts in defense of our nation will always be greatly appreciated.”

About 40 North Dakota Soldiers will remain in Kosovo in order to effectively coordinate mission handover to the succeeding unit, the Puerto Rican National Guard, which will lead KFOR 13. A ceremony to formally assume mission responsibility from the North Dakota National Guard took place July 24 in Kosovo. These remaining soldiers are expected home by the end of the month.

About 160 Soldiers of the 231st Maneuver Task Force (231st Brigade Support Battalion), Valley City, N.D., and the Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the 141st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade returned home early last May. The soldiers were mobilized last August.

Functioning as part of the Multinational Battle Group East, the charter mission of KFOR is maintaining a safe and secure environment and providing freedom of movement for the people in Kosovo. MNBG E is comprised of nearly 2,200 soldiers, including Task Force Hellas and Task Force POL-UKR (Polish and Ukraine) and Turkey.

Brig. Gen. Al Dohrmann, of Bismarck, commanded MNBG E during the KFOR 12 rotation.

The KFOR 12 mission was the largest mobilization for the North Dakota National Guard since the Korean War. While many units have deployed simultaneously for separate Global War on Terrorism missions in recent years, the KFOR mobilization encompasses the largest single element to mobilize in more than five decades.

North Dakota National Guard airmen and soldiers gather at Camp Grafton South, for a two-day marksmanship contest July 17 and 18. The N.D. National Guard Adjutant General's Combat Marksmanship Match takes place annually, and offers soldiers and airmen in the North Dakota National Guard an opportunity to test their marksmanship skills and weapon systems in a shoulder-to-shoulder competition.

Story and photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, North Dakota Air National Guard

Some of the best shooters in the North Dakota National Guard gathered at the firing range at Camp Grafton South July 17 and 18 to test their skills in the N.D. National Guard Adjutant General’s Combat Marksmanship Match. 

The marksmanship match is an annual state competition held “to promote battle-focused marksmanship training and to enhance overall marksmanship proficiency,” said Lt. Col. Stephen P. Herda, of Mandan, who works with the North Dakota National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters. “This match offers soldiers and airmen in the North Dakota National Guard an opportunity to test their marksmanship skills and weapon systems in a shoulder-to-shoulder competition. The Adjutant General’s Match is designed to test and improve the capabilities of our National Guard forces in a tactically oriented environment.”

The competition involves the use of both pistols and rifles in various shooting scenarios.

A team from the 817th Engineer Company, in Jamestown, took top honors in the event and produced the best individual shooter, Sgt. 1st Class Gary Varberg.

Varberg and the 817th – which is comprised of many members from the former 141st Engineer Combat Battalion’s Company B – are no strangers to the winners’ circle. Varberg has been the best individual shooter 29 out of 30 years, by his own account, and his team has finished first all 30 times that he’s competed.

Varberg, of Cooperstown, has competed on the national-level All-Guard Shooting Team several times and has traveled to places such as Australia, South Africa, France, Germany, Canada and England with the team.

“I’ve qualified to shoot for the Queen’s Medal Match, held in three different countries. I’ve even had dinner with the Queen. Marksmanship has taken me places that I thought I’d never see. It’s been awesome,” Varberg said.

The North Dakota Air National Guard team finished a respectable sixth place out of 12 teams in its first time back to the competition in several years.

“We have had great support from our leadership at the Wing for this contest and we hope to make a better showing next year,” said Tech. Sgt. Joshua VonBank, of Fargo, the North Dakota Air National Guard’s team leader. “The North Dakota Air National Guard can have as many as four teams in the competition. It’s a good time… a good experience.”

The top scoring team and individuals move on to a regional competition at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., and the top finishers at that contest will advance to the Winston P. Wilson National Championship, which will be in Little Rock, Ark., later this year.

Son to Danica and Jon Nelson, Mandan, at 3:31 p.m. July 19.

Son to Nicole Tschaekofsky and Blaine Dillman, Mandan, at 10:10 p.m. July 20.

Daughter to Jessica Swart and Kyle Thiel, New Salem, at 3:25 p.m. July 21.

Son to Jodie Morinho and Daniel Kettner, New Salem, at 9:02 p.m. July 21.

Daughter to Kimberly and Kevin Ybarra, Mandan, at 11:34 a.m. July 24.

St. Alexius births

Daughter to Robert and Kristi Tetzloff, Mandan, at 1:18 p.m. July 23.

Daughter to Brian and Tayon Nybakken, Mandan, at 6:33 a.m.  July 24.

Son to Eve Kostelecky-Albrecht and David Albrecht, Mandan, at 8:01 a.m. July 25.

The ND500 is set to begin in Bismarck on July 29, with a special event planned at KTM Cycle Hutt on The Strip on Saturday, July 24. Submitted photo

By Chad Hatzenbuhler for the Mandan News

The ND500 is a road rally event starting in Bismarck on July 29. The event is being hosted by Nic Cruz, owner of CiNcity Designs and the driver of the NSX from Speed Channel’s show Bullrun Season 3. The ND500 is meant to enjoy the company of car enthusiasts alike and to finally do something that this area has needed for a very long time.

The rally is made up of 50 cars that will be traveling over 2,500 miles in four days through the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and stopping in the cities of Denver, Salt Lake City and Jackson Hole.

There will be an awards banquet held on the last night of the rally in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Some of the awards include fastest and slowest rally time, spirit of the rally, most times pulled over and even the ugliest car.

The entire event is being professionally filmed and photographed and will be hosted online on the multiple CiNcity Designs and ND500 websites. 

This event will be promoted this Saturday, July 24, at KTM Cycle Hutt in Mandan, with a Drift Demo from 12 to 8 p.m. TJ Fry of The Mob Theory will be offering ride-alongs in his CiNCity Drift Car for $10. So if you are interested in a day of sideways action, come check out this drifting event.

For more information, go online to ND500.com or cincitydesigns.com.

Leadership within the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 191st Military Police Company recognize that traditions help bind a unit together, as well as to keep troops’ morale high and inspire pride among unit members. 1st Lt. Kristopher P. Elijah, company commander, of Mandan, and 1st Sgt. Alan P. Grinsteinner, senior enlisted leader for the military police, of Bismarck, took this as a challenge and have started what they hope to be a new tradition: The Outlaw Rodeo.

Members of the 191st call themselves “the outlaws” as the unit nickname. The Outlaw Rodeo combines tasks that pit members of different platoons against one another in a competition. While the tasks may change as the tradition builds, the inaugural event incorporated four timed events: disassembling and reassembling a .50 caliber machine gun, disassembling and reassembling a Mk-19 40mm grenade launcher, properly wearing a machine gunner’s safety harness, and conducting general tasks of a radio transmission operator.

First platoon nominated Sgt. Justin A. Lindteigen, of Fargo, to compete in all of the gunner’s tasks and Spc. Chelsey B. Fiebiger, of Fargo, for the radio portion. For second platoon, Pfc. Lee A. Silcox, of Fargo, handled the gunner’s portion and Spc. Matthew W. Manley, of Pembina, took the radio task. Third platoon sent Spc. Austyn L. Haider, of Minot, for the gunner’s tasks and Pfc. Kimberly M. Stensaker, of Mandan, for the radio portion. Manley came through as the best radio operator, while Haider easily completed the machine gun tasks.

After the initial competition was complete, the platoon leaders decided that they wanted to see just how well their respective platoon sergeants could perform at least some of these tasks. So the platoon sergeants, with literally a moment’s notice, were informed their timed task would be disassembling and reassembling the .50 caliber machine gun. Put on the spot, Staff Sgt. Cody J. Johnson, of Bismarck, the third platoon sergeant, showed how to “lead from the front” by completing the task first.

Superintendent Wilfred Volesky poses with students of the summer reading program at Custer Elementary. Submitted photos

Custer Elementary’s Summer Reading Program met on June 10 and June 24 with over 20 kids participating in each session. 

Guest reader Superintendent Wilfred Volesky read “Cook-A-Doodle-Doo” by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel and “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett.

Patty Mitchell then instructed the children on how to make puppy chow.

For the second session, Ms. Morgan read “The Squiggle” by Carole Lexa Schaefer and Ish by Peter H. Reynolds and Ms. Haugen read “The Mixed-Up Chameleon” by Eric Carle.

Ms. Bringle illustrated how to draw a lion step by step. Students drew their own animals or people to create a flipbook.

Students gather to learn how to make puppy chow with instructor Patty Mitchell.

Daughter to Jenna Byzewski, Mandan, at 1:32 a.m. July 13.

Son to Jen and Scott Brahos, Mandan, at 7:49 p.m. July 13.

Son to Angelia Wanous and Mitch Aberle, Mandan, at 9:09 p.m. July 15.

Son to Roxanne and Kelly Praus, Mandan, at 3:56 p.m. July 16.

Daughter to Natasha Gustafson and Allan Rand, Mandan, at 1:38 p.m. July 17.

St. Alexius births

Twin daughters to Davia Skinner and Fabian White Shield, Mandan, at 8 a.m. and 8:02 a.m. July 19.

Daughter to Chris and Cami Bauman, Mandan, at 10:23 a.m. July 19.

To be held July 28 to 30 at the State Capitol in Bismarck, the assembly offers the elected delegates from across North Dakota an opportunity to decide on the issues of greatest concern to them. The delegates, each assigned to one of four committees, will prepare language to forward to state legislators before the 2011 North Dakota Legislative Session.

Delegates must be age 60 or over and have an interest in senior issues and the legislative process. With North Dakota having the highest per capita of seniors in the nation, the association believes it is important to give a grassroots voice to senior issues, including nutrition, health care, housing, transportation, Social Security and other benefits and services.