The Washington Military Department discuss how they are tackling the tough issue of Cyber Security, Talk in detail about the Cascadia Subduction Zone and Tsunamis and even talk about some young Guardsmen doing some incredible things!

1. Traditional Guardsmen
Exceptional Citizens
pg 9
Any Mission, Any time pg 6
The Fight on Cyber Terrorism
pg 11

2. Commander in Chief
Washington State Governor
The Honorable Jay Inslee
The Adjutant General
Maj. Gen. Bret D. Daugherty
Communications Director
Karina Shagren
State Public Affairs Officer
Cpt. Joseph F. Siemandel
Chief Editor
Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro
Contributors
Robert Ezelle
Maj. Christina Martin
Maj. Lisa Dowling
Chris Acuna
Wendy Freitag
Gary Lott
Mark Stewart
Karin Johnson
Tim Cook
ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
Contributions to the Evergreen Magazine are always welcome!
Send articles, photos, questions and art to Washington National Guard
Public Affairs Office at: pao@washingtonguard.org
Camp Murray - BG Wallace Turner,
MG Bret Daugherty, and COL (P)
John Tuohy, showed their 12th man
spirit along with other members of
the Washington National Guard!
1 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III

3. T BLE of CONTENTS
12
7
11
Military Engagements Celebrating 377 Years
West Point Guardsmen
Cyber Warfare
The 96th MET is designed to
conduct military engagements
between the United States
military and foreign military
organizations. Through these
engagements they continue to
build and shape relationships
with other country’s military
members and governments.
Page 11
Page 6
Page 7
For centuries, the National
Guard has protected
American communities and
served the country by living
an “Always Ready, Always
There” line of defense in times
of need - Hurricane Katrina,
countless wildfires and the
terrorist attacks of 9/11.
PV1 Allen has become the first
Washington Army National
Guardsmen to be accepted into
West Point. The Army
National Guard and Reserves
receive only 85 slots a year
combined and receive more
than 250 applications, so
admission into the academy is
difficult.
Cyber is the only realm being
attacked every day, and has
implications in every sector
across the nation. Traditional
guardsmen - many whom have
civilian careers at Microsoft,
Amazon and other leading
technology companies have
the skillsets and experience
that can help in a response.
Tsunami Vertical
Evacuation Projects
Homeland Response
Force Outreach
LEAN The Future of
Improvements
EMD Gives Back to
Local Schools
Emergency Management
Division recently helped two
Washington Coast
communities submit hazard
mitigation grant proposals to
the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA).
HRF Outreach presented the
HRF/DOMOPS brief across
the state throughout multiple
counties, state agencies and the
majority of the Regional
Homeland Security
Coordination Districts.
As LEAN process
improvements continue to
spread across state
government, the Washington
Military Department has seen
a multitude of successes as
it’s implementation spreads
throughout the agency.
Life Christian was one of 10
schools selected randomly
from around the state to
receive a $100 gift card for
their ShakeOut participation
from Target Inc.
Page 12
Page 13
Page 10
13
Page 17
Page 18
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 2

4. THE
TAG
LINE
WASHINGTON NATIONAL GUARD
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
Major General Bret Daugherty
Priorities
Colleagues:
Reflecting on the past year, 2013 brought great success on many of the initiatives I laid out
when I first became Adjutant General and director of the Washington Military Department. I want to
build on that success in 2014, and ask for your continued support in meeting my key priorities, which
include:
• Domestic response: With the federal wartime operations winding down, we’ve placed a
renewed emphasis on our original mission – providing critical resources before, during and after
state emergencies to protect lives, our economy and our environment. To ensure all of our employees
– both state and federal, full-time and traditional – are fully prepared to help Washingtonians when
needed, our department now conducts coordinated, quarterly training exercises that involves both
our National Guard and Emergency Management Division to test our response to a variety of
domestic disasters. Our most recent exercises included the state-wide Operation Evergreen Ember to
test our response to a wildfire, a table top discussion with other state agencies to coordinate our response following a winter storm, and a significant drill involving our local, state and federal partners
to practice our response to a cyber attack.
• Agency integration: Facing continued budget cuts and declining resources, it’s important
that our state and federal divisions work in greater partnership to combine resources. We’ve
made a strong start by embracing Lean principles to eliminate waste and duplicating efforts.
By doing so, the Military Department as a whole will ensure taxpayers receive the most value
out of limited assets and provide the most efficient and effective response possible during
disasters.
• Community Outreach: We’ve placed a stronger emphasis on community outreach, and
our efforts are paying off. National Guard soldiers and airmen are participating in events
statewide to raise awareness of our work. Meanwhile, our Emergency Management
Division continues to work directly with our citizens to help them prepare for possible
disasters. We need to continue to build strong relationships with our communities in 2014.
This will help us best address the unique needs and concerns of Washingtonians to help
prevent disasters before they strike, and protect lives and property following an emergency.
I’ll also be spending 2014 working with our agency and state leaders to explore
opportunities to expand our Washington Youth Academy, and identify a stable funding
source to support emergency management programs.
Additionally, it’s my continued priority to ensure our employees have
access to the most state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. This is
an effort to not only improve your working environment, but
to ensure we have the tools necessary to meet our mission
and quickly provide help to Washingtonians when they
need it. I remain optimistic that 2014 will bring exciting news about regional readiness centers, Strykers and
updated aviation equipment, and improvements to our
state facilities.
Congratulations to our entire WMD for a
successful 2013. I’m proud to have you on our team
as we achieve even greater success in the New Year.
Maj. Gen Bret Daugherty
The Adjutant General
Washington National Guard

5. WASHINGTON MILITARY DEPARTMENT
Director - Emergency Managment Division
Robert Ezelle
Preparing for a new year
Washington State’s emergency management community accomplished a lot of good things
in 2013, but we’re starting 2014 with renewed energy and a long resolution list.
This was the consensus of the Emergency Management Division’s management team as we
chatted before a recent meeting. It was apparent that most accomplishments were not just EMD’s,
but involved multiple organizations. These items may not make front-page news, but all are essential
to our state and the safety of our residents.
Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan. Being one of eight states with an enhanced plan means
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes Washington as a national leader in
mitigation. It also means FEMA provides additional funds for projects that will make our
communities safer in future disasters, a real benefit in these lean times.
Marine Debris Task Force. Borne out of the tragic Japanese tsunami in 2011, the Task Force
demonstrated exceptional interagency cooperation in helping remove tsunami debris from
Washington beaches. The task force also worked closely with the Japanese Consulate in Seattle to
identify items that washed ashore; in 2013 that included a 7-meter skiff on Makah Tribal lands and the
remains of a fishing vessel near Taholah.
Annual State Preparedness Report. This report is a requirement of a
FEMA-driven process that in the past produced little meaningful data on the
state’s emergency management capabilities. An interagency team led by EMD
developed an improved process to better quantify our prevention, protection,
mitigation, response, and recovery mission capabilities.
Development of an All-Hazards Business Re-Entry Access Pass.
EMD’s Private Industry Program will roll out a new pass system in mid 2014
that businesses can use to access restricted or controlled areas to make
post-disaster repairs to their facilities and infrastructure. Businesses are able to
restore operations more quickly, a benefit to all after a disaster.
The Great Washington ShakeOut. More than 872,760 Washingtonians
participated in the Great ShakeOut drill in October, practicing the drop, cover,
and hold-on earthquake safety technique.
The Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Refuge. Last April, the people of the
Ocosta School District approved a bond measure to construct a new elementary
school that includes a tsunami evacuation refuge, the first of its kind in the nation. This
occurred after the Westport community received tsunami evacuation planning
assistance from the Project Safe Haven partnership, of which EMD is a
member.
EMD-and its partners-accomplished a lot in 2013. But there
is more work to do. Here’s a few things we’ll be working on in 2014.
-Refocusing and revitalizing the Emergency Management Council,
which provides advice to the Governor and Adjutant General.
-Continuing to modernize the state’s E911 infrastructure, increasing
the number of ways (voice, text and image) people can contact 911
call centers.
-Completing revisions to sections of the Washington
Administrative Code that modernize requirements for local
emergency management organizations and revise the structure
through which they receive funding.
-Establishing a new goal for the Great ShakeOut on October 16-1
million participants!
We’re looking forward to accomplishing great things in 2014!
Robert Ezelle
Director, Emergency Management Division
Washington Military Department
FEATURED
GUEST
EDITOR

6. WELCOME NEW COMMANDER/BASE CIVIL ENGINEER
Story courtesy of Karin Johnson
The 141st Civil Engineer Squadron at Fairchild AFB welcomes new Commander/Base Civil Engineer, Lt. Col. Curtis
Puckett. Lt. Col. Puckett comes to the squadron with a wealth of knowledge and a diverse military background. Most recently as the
141st Communications Flight Commander, he is familiar with the base and its facilities, all of which will assist him in his new role as
the Base Civil Engineer.
Lt. Col. Puckett began his military career in 1985 as an Avionics Communications Specialist. He served four years on active
duty on Anderson AFB, Guam and Fairchild AFB, WA. In 1989 he joined the
Washington Air National Guard continuing in avionics while attending college
full-time. He earned his degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington State
University at Pullman in 1994. He left the ANG in 1995 as an Aircraft Quality
Assurance Inspector at the rank of Master Sergeant. That year, he received his
commission in the U. S. Coast Guard under the Direct Commission Engineer Program.
He was assigned to USCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C. working in the Office of
Acquisition as a Project Officer/Engineer. In 1998, he transferred to the USCG
Reserves in Seattle, WA as the Chief of Admin for a joint Navy/USCG harbor defense
unit.
Lt. Col. Puckett returned to the ANG in 2000 as a Traditional Guardsman
to later become an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the 141st Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron. In 2005, he was among six nationwide selected to work BRAC/TFI issues
for NGB/A4M at the ANG Readiness Center at Andrews AFB, MD. At the end of his
two-year stat tour, he was hired by the 141st as the Aircraft MX Squadron Commander.
He was a key leader advancing many Total Force Integration successes with the 92nd
ARW. He has deployed overseas three times in support of Operations ENDURING
and IRAQI FREEDOM. In 2010, he deployed with the 92nd ARW providing aircraft
maintenance support at Manas Transit Center, Kyrgyzstan.
All of the staff both state and federal are eager to assist Lt. Col. Puckett with
the transition into the squadron. Welcome!
WELCOME NEW JOINT SERVICE SUPPORT DIRECTOR
Greetings from Joint Services Support!
It is my distinct honor and privilege to serve as your new Joint Services Support (JSS) Director. I come to the JSS with over
23 years of experience as a soldier in the Army National Guard (Rhode Island, Missouri and Washington). My experience as both an
enlisted Soldier and a commissioned officer through times of peace and war has taught me that life is very good and life can be very
hard. Finding people who care about you during those hard times can make a life-changing difference.
The JSS is a caring team of people who are concerned about you personally and
professionally. The JSS team is working hard to create strong and resilient Soldiers,
Airmen and families in the Washington National Guard so that we can be prepared to
answer the next call to serve our country and Washington state.
The JSS will take steps in 2014 to implement MG Daugherty’s domestic operations
(Domops) plans for the WA Guard. This will help prepare our Guard and their families
in becoming a more ready and resilient force and members of their community.
For many in our Guard family, the last thirteen years have been filled with joy, pain and
memories that will never be forgotten as our formation has endured many deployments.
Whether you are a seasoned Veteran or a new recruit, thank you for your service! I am
thankful that there are still people like you who are willing to accept the challenge to
fight for freedom and be ready to lend a helping hand when others are in trouble. As we
begin a new year, please know that the Joint Services Support is here to lend you a
helping hand to help you and your family grow stronger so that you can continue to
answer the call—the call that my children will be forever grateful for.
Very Respectfully,
CH (LTC) Don Brewer

7. A Different Kind Of Mission
96th Military Engagement Team takes on unique mission in Middle East
Story by CPT Joseph Siemandel State Public Affairs Officer
Photos courtesy of LTC Anthony Bolante, 96th MET
O
ver the last 12 years of war fighting in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the United States Military has seen numerous
missions and worked with many foreign partners to accomplish
its tasks. Now with the draw-down in forces, the mission of
sustainability and capability building has taken lead. The
Washington National Guard’s 96th Military Engagement Team
(MET) is playing a significant role in completing the mission.
The 96th MET, led by Col. Robin Blanchard, is
designed to conduct military engagements between the United
States military and foreign military organizations. Through these
engagements they continue to build and shape relationships with
other country’s military members and governments.
“The missions are going really well,” Blanchard says of
the team’s recent missions. “We are consistently asked to come
back, nothing but great comments [from everyone].”
With teams located in Kuwait and Jordan, the 96th MET
has traveled all over the region meeting with foreign military
officials to discuss topics such as English language and
communicating effectively, Information Assurance,
Sustainability and the Military Decision Making Process. The
questions asked and discussions had are never too big or small
for the 96th MET.
“We receive our missions from the ARCENT Country
Desk Officers who work with the embassies. The foreign
militaries communicate to the U.S. embassy the topics they are
interested in and the country desk officers come to the MET to
resource the engagement. Many of the countries are interested in
learning the NATO standards in order to support global
humanitarian efforts. Since most of the NATO standards match
the U.S. military’s, it makes the MET uniquely qualified to
assist.” Blanchard says.
Another benefit of a guard unit having this mission
is our ability, as Guardsmen in a Title 10 role, to assist in the
synchronization of multiple State Partnership Programs and
ARCENT/CENTCOM’s theater objectives. The synergy we are
creating in the AOR is mutually beneficial to both the SPP and
ARCENT; it is proving to be extremely effective.”
The 96th MET mission is tailor made for the National
Guard, since the majority of the unit is senior non-commissioned
officers and officers that have a wealth of knowledge and skill
sets outside of the military due to their civilian work.
“It has been an opportunity for us to show how effective
a Guard unit can be in these kinds of missions,” Blanchard says.
“We have to be very diverse. If they need something in
maintenance, something in leadership, something in information
assurance, whatever they might need we have that wide ray of
specialties and this particular mission is suited perfectly for the
National Guard.”
The 96th MET is scheduled to come home later this
year, but have already been talking with their replacement unit,
the Wisconsin National Guard 32nd MET to help prepare for a
smooth transition.
“The MET is likely to remain a National Guard mission,
a perfect fit for our capabilities.”
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 6

8. T
his may just seem like another number, but when
you think about the year 1636 being well before the Civil War,
when the states were colonies and many years before the Army,
Air Force, Marines or Navy were even around, the significance
becomes evident.
Friday, Dec. 13, the Washington National Guard
celebrated the National Guard’s 377th birthday with a
cake-cutting ceremony and chili cook-off at Building 33 on
Camp Murray. Assistant Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Wallace
Turner led the ceremony.
“This was a great event to celebrate the dedication and
commitment that our Washington National Guardsmen have
consistently provided,” Turner said. “It’s a perfect time for our
service members to enjoy chili, all while meeting their fellow
Guard members and giving our command structure an informal
and fun environment to say thank you.”
Although this was a chance to show-off one’s
“chili-master” ability and take the first-place prize for the year’s
best chili, it was also an opportunity to reflect on the service
members who have served in the past centuries.
“To be able to celebrate the National Guard’s birthday
means I have the honor of belonging to two families with long
histories,” said the event’s point of contact, Sgt. 1st Class Richard
Huyck. “I belong to the oldest military force in the United States,
and I also belong to the family of American citizens. This family
has always pulled together in times of crisis, and I’m proud to be
a citizen-soldier.”
The Washington National Guard kept its annual
cake-cutting tradition going this year, with the youngest, oldest
7 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III
“The youngest, the Oldest and most Senior”
Col. John Tuohy, BG Wallace Turner, (Retired)
Ron Weaver and Spc. Ruben Toledo cut the
377th National Guard birthday cake on Camp
Murray in a traditional cake cutting ceremony.
Story and photo by Gary Lott
Marketing Program Manager, Joint Services Support
and most senior members present to cut the National Guard
birthday cake.
BG Wallace Turner and Col. John Tuohy (the most
senior) joined Spec. Ruben Toldeo (the youngest) and retired Col.
Ron Weaver (the oldest) in cutting the guard birthday cake.
With an opportunity to build morale, learn a little
National Guard history, sample a variety of different chili recipes
and mingle with their fellow Washington National Guard
members and command members, this birthday celebration of
377 years was in no way just another number.
For centuries, the National Guard has protected
American communities and served the country by living an
“Always Ready, Always There” line of defense in times of need Hurricane Katrina, countless wildfires and the terrorist attacks of
9/11. Citizen-soldiers were serving (officially volunteering at that
time) on United States soil before it was even officially U.S. soil.
The National Guard doesn’t just serve on U.S. soil,
though. More recently, it offered substantial assistance in the
Afghanistan war, and it has provided almost 30 percent of the
deployed combat force in the last decade.
In fact, although some states this year are finally
fortunate to have no deployed units during the holiday season,
states such as Washington still have multiple units deployed in
places such as Afghanistan and Kuwait.
The Washington National Guard will not only serve the
country during the holiday season, but will also have families
left behind who are responsible for managing and celebrating the
holidays without their spouse.

9. T
he process of changing state rules to modernize
30-year-old emergency management program requirements and
update funding methodologies for one of the state’s primary
federal emergency management grant programs is drawing to a
close.
Emergency Management Division Director Robert
Ezelle says it is important to recognize that partners in the
emergency management community collaborated on these
initiatives by contributing considerable time and energy to the
rigorous rule-making process.
The current funding methodology laid out in Washington
Administrative Code (WAC) 118-09 for the Emergency
Management Preparedness Grant (EMPG) favors larger,
well-funded local programs over those in small, resource-poor
jurisdictions. Proposed revisions to the 30-year-old code provide
a more equitable distribution of grant funds.
In the new methodology, a share of the grant is set aside
for the state emergency management program. Then, it provides
the smallest counties with a base funding amount, and larger city
and county organizations with an amount based on population.
Tribal partners’ funding also is based on aggregate population.
The amount an organization receives will depend on the final
grant award to the state, with each recipient providing a 50
percent non-federal match.
The rules-making process to implement this new
methodology is in the homestretch. In December 2013, EMD
conducted public hearings in Spokane and Olympia on final
language for the rule. Remaining steps include developing a
summary of public comments, a final legal review, sharing the
summary with all stakeholders, and filing a rule-making order
with the Office of the Code Reviser. The rule will take effect 31
days from the filing date, to be determined. The new
methodology should be ready for the 2014 funding cycle that
starts at mid-year.
In a similar process, EMD has been working to modernize another 30-year-old code, WAC 118-30, which describes
the processes for establishing a local emergency management
program, program elements and minimum requirements. The new
WAC will describe what local programs should be able to do and
what services they should provide to their communities, based
on requirements outlined in state law (Washington Emergency
Management Act, RCW 38.52).
Stakeholders recently completed an initial review of the
proposed code language. Further legal review, public hearings,
and filing of a rule-making order will occur later this year.
T
he Washington Youth
Academy graduated its 10th
class on December 21, 2013,
with an emotional and
inspiring commencement
ceremony. There weren’t many
dry eyes in the packed
auditorium of Bremerton
High School as the audience
listened to the speeches of the
Cadets. Their words were
moving and powerful as they
described how the program
helped them to overcome
their individual challenges,
the friendships they had
formed and how much they
Ten Classes Strong
Story by Chris Acuna, Washington Youth Academy
respected the Cadre, teachers and staff. Another highlight of the event was when a Cadet took the oath of
enlistment into the U.S. Army National Guard on stage for all to witness. The oath was administered by the
Cadet’s Cadre platoon leader.
After 5 years, the Washington Youth Academy continues to be a leading program among the 36 National
Guard Youth Challenge Programs in 29 states across the country.
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 8

10. W
hen we think of serving others, Second
Lieutenant Hans Zeiger and his contributions to the community
of Puyallup come to mind first. Not only does he serve as one of
the 194th Wing’s Public Affairs Officers as part of the
Washington Air National Guard; but he also serves in the State
House of Representatives for the 25th Legislative District
(Puyallup, Fife, South Hill, Summit-Waller, Midland, and
Parkland).
After being elected in 2010, Zeiger hit the ground
running, and immediately found himself sitting on four committees in Olympia; Higher Education (assistant ranking); Transportation; Early Learning and Human Services; and
Technology and Economic Development.
If that weren’t enough, outside of the
legislature, he is an adjunct professor of
Political Science at Seattle Pacific University.
He also volunteers on several boards,
including the Daffodil Festival, the One Another
Foundation, the Puyallup Kiwanis
Foundation, the Puyallup Library Foundation,
the Boy Scouts of America Pacific Harbors
Council, the William Ruckelshaus Center,
and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation
Coalition. He is also a professional writer, who
has authored two books and has been featured in
publications like the Seattle Times, San
Francisco Chronicle and Baltimore Sun.
Zeiger grew up in Puyallup, and
attended Puyallup High School, where he participated in student leadership and cross county.
After High School, Zeiger attended Hillsdale College in Southern
Michigan where he received his Bachelor’s degree in American
Studies, and then received his Master’s degree in Public Policy
from Pepperdine University. After college, he started a project
in Puyallup documenting the experience of local World War II
Veterans and others who contributed to the war effort. As he
9 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III
Story by Maj. Lisa Dowling, Washington Air National Guard
interviewed numerous veterans, he began to realize that there are
some lessons about service that cannot be taught in a classroom
or written in a book. He began to feel a deep need to serve his
country and decided to join the Washington Air National Guard;
leaning on long-time friend and mentor Lt. Col. Mike Moran for
advice.
“Lt. Col. Mike Moran was my Boy Scout leader in
Troop 174 in Puyallup when I was growing up,” said Zeiger.
“Some of my best memories in Scouting are singing camp songs
that he taught us. We also spent a couple weeks together in 2001
backpacking through Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico.
Whatever good I can do for this state and country as an Air
Guardsman will largely be on account of the
lessons I learned in Scouting. Lt. Col. Moran
had a lot to do with that.”
Serving others runs in Zeiger family.
His great uncle Colonel Ross Greening was
a pilot during World War II, flying raids over
Japan and Italy and spent much of 1943 as
a Prisoner of War after being shot down over
Italy. Col. Greening escaped and hid for seven
months before being recaptured. After the war,
he returned to the states, organizing a
traveling museum about POW life, and served
as Air Force Attache in Australia.
Zeiger’s grandfather Martin Nisker
also served as an officer in the Air Force as
a Navigator. He was on missions over Europe
during WWII, and then rejoined the Air Force
later during the Korean Conflict.
“So the Air Force runs in my blood. I thought about my
grandfather and my great uncle quite a bit when I was at Maxwell
AFB [for training]. I was and still am totally inspired by those
two men and the legacy they left, “said Zeiger.

11. A
year ago Hezekiuh Allen
never would have expected to be heading to
the West Point, the United State’s Military
Academy, but the 18-year old got the news early
that he became the first Washington Army
National Guardsman to gain admission
into the famous academy in New York.
“I didn’t ever expect that I would
be going to West Point, it occurred to
me only three months ago that it was
even a possibility,” Allen said.
Every year, West Point receives
over 15,000 applications for high
school students looking for admission,
out of that approximately 1,300
are accepted. The Army National
Guardsmen and Army
Reservists receive only 85 slots a
year combined and receive more
than 250 applications, so
admission into the academy is extremely
difficult.
“West Point is sort of a dream come
true, because if it wasn’t for me being in the
Guard, I wouldn’t have gotten in,” Allen
said. “I messed around my first year and
a half at high school, but it was really
getting a 4.0 [GPA] the rest of school and
taking AP level classes that did it for me.”
It was the decision that Allen made a
month after his 17th birthday that changed
his path, when he decided to join the
Washington Army National Guard as a Chemical
Specialist (74D) and chose the spilt option,
where he attended Basic Combat Training
between his junior and senior year.
When he returned home was when his
dream started becoming a reality.
“It was the minute I got off the plane to
come home [from Basic Training] I talked to my mom about it and she was real
excited about it after my dad explained
that it was a real possibility,” Allen
said.
Allen is not new to the military,
he was raised in a military family,
and his father is
currently
stationed at Joint Base
Lewis-McChord.
“After talking with my parents,
I knew in my heart it is what I wanted to
do,” Allen said.
Story by Cpt. Joseph Siemandel, Washington Army National Guard
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 10

12. Story by Spc. Samantha Ciaramitaro
11 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III

13. T
hey’re becoming so frequent that headlines about it don’t seem so shocking anymore. In 2013
alone, hackers stole personal information from Bank of America customers, gathered passwords from
Facebook users, and most recently, 70 million Target customers had their privacy compromised when cyber
attackers hacked into the company’s network. While in most of the talked-about instances, hackers have
targeted personal information - those who commit cyber crime have the potential to shut down utilities, close down
our transportation systems and grind government services to a halt. The result could not only cost millions, even
billions of dollars - but could threaten lives if citizens lose access to water and electricity. To address this emerging
threat, the Washington National Guard, along with 25 other government agencies and private-sector partners
within the state of Washington, helped lead a cyber exercise to plan and design a standardized response in the event
of a major cyber incident. Agency’s who participated ranged from utility districts to critical infrastructure and
telephone companies.
“What we had was a cyber storm exercise, which is a series the Department of Homeland Security
sponsors on a yearly basis that are designed to test out state and local’s capabilities to respond to cyber incidents,”
said Washington Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Hughes. “DHS is trying to standardize what kind of
things we can get across the board so we have a standard response and standard expectations on DHS -- what they
can provide, what capabilities they can bring to a significant cyber event.”
“What we have done is designed a plan so we have a standard response to a cyber incident - just like we
have for fires and earthquakes. You pull the plan off the shelf, and boom we know what to do.” Hughes added, “We
know what kind of forces are going to be required, what kinds of resources are needed, where they are going and
what they are going to do.”
“It’s all about keeping the lights on and public safety. For utilities, it’s part of the critical infrastructure -keeping the lights on, keeping the complete systems up. It’s one of the foundation pieces for any part of our
community so it is very important that we protect that,” explained Benjamin Beberness, Chief Information Officer
for Snohomish County Public Utility District.
Beberness said, “Our goals are to really test our incident response plan. We all kind of joke, ‘do you have
one?’ and if you do, ‘have you ever exercised it?’ So this exercise we have been testing our incident response plans
to see where we have gaps and what can we do better.”
“It affects every single thing that we do from procurement to training to deployments. We are so dependent
on the internet and cyber tools to do our daily jobs as we continue to face potential draw downs. The only way we
can do that is with automation and we have to rely on systems even heavier. We need to make sure those systems
are secure and safe and we also have to be able to defend the nation,” Hughes said.
“We are trying to work with the National Guard to figure out if there is a way we can have them come to
our utility and we can teach them how utilities are structured, the types of software and hardware designs we use
for cyber security and the tools we use. Then we would also get education from the Guard on how to better improve
our cyber security programs and educate our staff,” said Beberness.
“We are leveraging the traditional guardsmen. The National Guard is such a fit for a state response,
including cyber. We have both the skill sets and the relationships. We have a lot of leaders from the local
communities so that sponsorship helps the acceptance when the Guard shows up versus the active duty. It’s an
unknown entity. We live here, we work here, that is our biggest strength,” said Hughes.
Cyber is the only realm that is being attacked every day, and has implications in every sector across the
nation. Traditional guardsmen - many of whom have civilian careers at Microsoft, Amazon and other leading
technology companies - have the skill sets and experiences that can help in a response. Some of our guardsmen
work in very high level security jobs or incident response types of positions in the cyber community. This is a
natural extension of what they do. Now they can offer that valuable resource in a state active duty status under the
direction of the TAG as the Homeland Security Advisor.
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 12

14. Emergency Management
works with coast cities on
Tsunami Vertical Evacuation Projects
T
he Washington Military Department’s Emergency
Management Division (EMD) recently helped two Washington
Coast communities submit hazard mitigation grant proposals
to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that,
if awarded, will address their life-threatening vulnerability to
tsunamis. Our work will help meet one of WMD Director and
Adjutant General Bret Daugherty’s priorities to enhance domestic
emergency preparedness, and provide coastal communities with
a much-needed shelter that will help save lives during the next
Cascadia Subduction Zone event.
The City of Long Beach and the Ocosta School District
in Westport both developed proposals to build a vertical
evacuation structure in their respective communities. FEMA calls
them tsunami safe areas, designed to provide a refuge of last
resort for people caught in tsunami inundation zones with no
other evacuation options available. Once built, these safe areas
will be the first such structures in the country, setting an
important example of tsunami mitigation for other vulnerable
coastal communities around the world.
Both projects are based upon the results of EMD’s
Project Safe Haven, a grassroots effort in 2009-2012 that
developed strategies for tsunami evacuation along the
Washington coast. Project Safe Haven found that many
communities on the Pacific shoreline have little or no reachable
high ground to escape a tsunami, and their planned evacuation
routes rely on roads and bridges susceptible to severe damage
by a tsunami-generating earthquake. In other words, the people
most likely to face a major tsunami would be unlikely to escape
it, regardless of timely evacuation alerts. The structural design
concepts developed by Project Safe Haven established vertical
evacuation as a sound mitigation strategy for coastal areas. Both
Long Beach and Ocosta contributed to this effort, and they now
lead the way in putting those concepts into practice.
Long Beach plans to build a concrete-reinforced earthen
berm that would rise 42 feet above the area’s normal high water
mark and hold about 500-600 people atop its highest point. That’s
18 feet above the maximum wave height of the projected
tsunamis that could inundate the area just 30 minutes after a
magnitude 9.1 earthquake off the coast. The site of Long Beach’s
engineered high ground will double as a city park and community
recreational amenity, helping the city incorporate their tsunami
safe area into everyday community life. The Washington National
13 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III
Story by Tim Cook
Emergency Management Division
Guard has expressed interest in contributing labor to the project,
which would further reduce the city’s costs and demonstrate the
Guard’s commitment to enhancing the state’s disaster resilience.
Ocosta School District plans to provide the same life-saving
function but with a very different structural design. Their
tsunami safe area will be a uniquely engineered school
gymnasium located on the Ocosta combined school campus in
Westport. It features a rooftop evacuation deck that’s elevated 55
feet above the normal high water mark and capable of holding
at least 1,500 people safely above the highest projected tsunami
waves. In a worst-case tsunami scenario, the death rate in this
community is projected to exceed 90%. Ocosta responded to this
grim prediction by committing to build their tsunami safe area
with or without FEMA grant assistance.
The financial cost to build these structures is high. Cost
estimates put Long Beach’s evacuation berm project at $1.9
million and Ocosta’s roof-deck structure at nearly $3.3 million—
large price tags for small communities. That’s why the FEMA
hazard mitigation grants they seek are so important. If awarded,
the grants would cover 75 percent of their project costs, and for
Long Beach, the State of Washington will cover half of the city’s
remaining 25 percent cost share (or 12.5 percent of total project
costs). So their $1.9 million dollar project could, with grant
funding, be completed with just $237,500 of local funds.
EMD worked closely with both communities to
develop and submit strong project applications and will manage
the FEMA grants if awarded. All of FEMA’s hazard mitigation
grants pass through EMD to the local communities. Currently,
EMD’s mitigation staff actively manages 57 such grants, each
one helping to fund mitigation projects and planning efforts
throughout the state.
FEMA’s mitigation grant programs are competitive and
federal funds are scarce, so there is no guarantee that Long Beach
or Ocosta will secure the FEMA grants they seek. But regardless
of FEMA’s final award decisions, EMD will continue to
encourage and support the development of viable tsunami safe
area proposals. With clear life-safety benefits for our coastal
communities, these projects exemplify the Washington Military
Department’s core mission: to minimize the impact of
emergencies and disasters on the people, property, environment,
and economy of Washington State.

15. Story by Karina Shagren
Washington Military Department
I
t’s inevitable. History has shown that the West Coast
is due for a large-scale, Cascadia
Subduction Zone (CSZ)
earthquake. And while no one can predict the exact date, it is
possible to anticipate the likely
impacts on the region’s communities, infrastructure, and economy.
The Washington Military Department has taken extraordinary measures to prepare citizens and first responders for this
expected event, and continues to identify challenges that may
slow or prohibit critical assistance following the quake.
It’s likely roads and bridges will crumble. Phone and
internet access will be cutoff. Food and water
supplies will be limited. Hospitals and other health care facilities
will be unusable.
Additionally, it’s expected that some Coastal communities may be under water from a resulting
tsunami. And given the damage to our transportation infrastructure, it’s likely the only way to reach those living along the coast
trapped in the wreckage will be by air. Helicopters and planes will
be critical to
conducting search and rescue operations, logistics movement,
medical transport and aerial surveys.
However, along with limited access to utilities, water
and health care – a CSZ event will also greatly reduce or eliminate access to fuel and airports. Both are required for planes and
helicopters to conduct an efficient, effective aviation response.
To address these challenges, the Washington National
Guard, in coordination with our Emergency Management Division, has pulled together
aviation experts that serve a variety of local, state and federal
agencies – including the Washington State
Department of Transportation, the Washington State
Patrol, the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the Department of Defense, and local sheriff ’s offices.
“We’ve asked these agencies to partner with us and form
a team to help identify those critical
resources that are required to sustain the aviation
response following a CSZ event,” said Washington
National Guard LTC Clayton Braun, who pulled
together the first meeting to unite the aviation
community. “We’ll be working in coordination to
develop an airspace management plan, and create a prioritization
process to ensure we do our very best to protect lives and property
following a major event.”
It’s part of a much larger effort. Recently, the Washington
National Guard began the process of developing a comprehensive
response and recovery strategy – similar to our Emergency Management
Division’s “Catastrophic Incident Annex” now
included in the state’s Comprehensive Emergency Management
Plan. The aviation aspect is just one
component of the overall response and recovery
strategy.
“We can always just hope that a Cascadia
Subduction Zone event won’t happen in our lifetime,”
Braun said. “But just hoping would be irresponsible. We have to
be realistic, and accept that a devastating event could happen at
any time. And when it does – we will be prepared.”
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 14

16. A WARNG HRF team member delivers a HRF and
Domestic Operations capabilities briefing to South
King County, Zone 1 on Nov 20, to increase overall
awareness of National Guard capabilities and assets.
On Nov 20, Homeland Response Force (HRF) J6 and
56th Theater Information Operations Group (TIOG)
Communications conducted a demonstration to
civilian first responders and Emergency Management
personnel.
HEPAT, partnered with EMD provides a class on the
NIMS resource request process on Dec 12 .
On Dec 11, A HRF team member presented the
Domestic Operations/Homeland Response Force brief
and discussed the basics of the Request For Assistance
process (RFA) with assistance from the State Emergency Management Division.
Story by Spc Samantha Ciaramitaro and
CPT Jeff McDonald, Home Land Response Force, Outreach Chief
W
ithin minutes - sometimes seconds - a seemingly
quiet, normal day can turn into a life threatening emergency. A dirty
bomb found at a nearby port. White powder found in an envelope at
a local post office. A suspicious backpack discovered at a community
parade.
The attacks on September 11th, 2001 opened many eyes
to new dangerous possibilities, and forced a stronger emphasis on
anti-terrorism efforts. As a result, the Washington National Guard
developed one of the first Homeland Response Forces (HRF) in the
nation. Made up of nearly 600 soldiers (and airmen?), this
highly-trained, highly-specialized unit can quickly respond to
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosive
threats - providing Washingtonians with a unique asset to further
protect lives, property, and the economy of Washington state.
To improve coordination with the broader Emergency
Management community, and ensure Washington citizens receive the
best response possible during a disaster or emergency, the
Washington National Guard HRF has made community outreach
a priority, participating in more than 70 events during the last 10
months.
In the course of these events we contacted over 200 people
involved in EM within Washington in order to introduce or r
einvigorate interest in the capabilities of the National Guard. HRF
Outreach presented the HRF/DOMOPS brief across the state
throughout multiple counties, state agencies and the majority of the
Regional Homeland Security Coordination Districts.
Central to our success in generating interest in the
Washington National Guard was the publication of our Domestic
Response Capabilities Handbook, now being updated, which we
distributed to every County Emergency Operations Center and
multiple related organizations. Having this book on the desk of
Emergency Managers across the state continues to attract interest and
requests for additional presentations from the Outreach team.
As we move forward into 2014 the Outreach team continues
to build on the relationships established with our civilian and military
partners. Increasing opportunities to showcase the Guard will remain
a focus along with increasing participation in training alongside the
civilian EM community. As well, we continue to introduce Guard
units and capabilities to their local EM personalities in order to foster
enduring partnerships and synchronize preparedness efforts.
The Emergency Management community is beginning to
recognize the WA National Guard as a valid partner, our efforts this
year will continue to reinforce this belief.

18. LEAN
The future of
improvements
Story by Maj. Christina Martin, JFHQ Public Affairs Officer
As LEAN process improvements continue to spread
across state government, the Washington Military Department
(WMD) has seen a multitude of successes as its implementation
spreads throughout the agency. The enthusiasm from the player’s
agency-wide has been an integral part of the success of the program.
“LEAN provides greater hope for an actual cultural shift. It’s not just top down, it’s also bottom up,” explained
Rebecca Cole, process improvement coordinator for the WMD.
Cole added, “It relies on employees, customers, stakeholders, and
leadership to create an end to end system of change.”
One great success story lies in the extreme improvement
in the contracting process. A 2012 study showed that contracts
were taking 45-60 days from initiation to completion. With the
implementation of LEAN, the average is now 6 days. The key to
success was changing the routing process to an
electronic format and removing unnecessary reviewers. This
process was also expanded from strictly grant sub-recipient
contracts to all Emergency Management contracts, with a
significant reduction in defects. The process worked so well it is
now being expanded to environmental contracts.
LEAN is not just being utilized internally. “The goal is
to work across value streams,” explains Cole. Customers outside
of the agency are engaged to ensure they are being served
properly.
The contracting success story is followed by many
others. For example, the Emergency Management Division
(EMD) and the payroll office held a Value Stream Mapping
workshop on the EMD timesheet submittal process. The
timesheet submittal requirement has been shortened from 5 days
in advance to 1-1.5 days in advance and is continuously being
looked at for improvement. A new armory mail process was also
implemented by using a commercial third party mail metering
system rather than employees purchasing, inventorying, and
recording the use of postage stamps. The new process resulted in
an 80% reduction of overhead.
WMD Director and Adjutant General Bret Daugherty
has made using Lean process improvements a priority of the
agency to ensure taxpayers receive the most out of limited
resources.
17 EVERGREEN MAGAZINE VOL. I // ISSUE III
Story by Gary Lott, Marketing Program Manager, Joint Services Support
“Our fitness goals for service members are to overcome
past injuries, pass their PT tests, assist with issues with height and
weight and help service members stay in the Guard. Overall, we
want to help build a more resilient and fit Washington National
Guard.”
The Joint Services Support Directorate has a new face
for their Fitness and Resiliency program that follows the National
Guard’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) standards. Help
welcome 1LT Kyereme Blanding.
Blanding’s fitness past brings to the Washington
National Guard a perfect candidate for the Fit & Resiliency
(FRT) Program. Kyereme played two years of collegiate football
for the University of Central Florida (UCF), a Division 1 school,
and has had two knee surgeries for a torn MCL and ACL. This
brings great personal experience and perspective from someone
who has trained with some of the most physically fit athletes, as
well as someone who has and is currently still going through the
many difficulties of recovery that a major injury can bring.
“It’s important to use achievable fitness progress goals,”
Blanding said. “If you haven’t worked out in a while don’t just go
and run a mile, start with one lap at a time until you build up your
comfort level.”
The FRT program consists of Master Resilience Training (MRT) and Resilience Trainer Assistant (RTA) training, all
of which fits under the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF)
standards for the guard.
The classes are available for service members interested
in improving their physical fitness and resiliency. Members of the
guard should contact their AGR and/or Readiness NCOs to access
the Digital Training Management System (DTMS) to check their
eligibility status.
The FRT program will conduct nine RTA courses and
four MRT courses in 2014. Additional classes can be scheduled
for 10 or more and the FRT program can also become mobile and
travel to your unit or armory (as long as 10 or more participants
are involved). “We tailor the training to the individual, not the
individual into the training,” Kyereme added. “We want our
training to be geared specifically for you, and to feel comforable.”
Fitness and resiliency isn’t just about lifting hundreds of
pounds or running several miles either. The FRT courses will
implement typical exercises like weightlifting and 5K runs, but
will also incorporate more unorthodox military exercises such as
yoga, crossfit and Pilates. The FRT course will also bring in
physical therapists and nutritionists to help service members
become more aware of their own lifestyles and fitness/nutritional
needs.
“In the coming months, we will offer a plethora of different exercises to best fit the variety of individuals that comprise
the diverse Washington National Guard family,” said Kyereme.
“To become a more fit and resilient force will not only benefit the
families and communities of Washington State, but will also lead
to a healthier and more physically/mentally fit National Guard.

19. THE
SERVING
COMMUNITY
The Washington Army
National Guard Recruiting &
Retention Battalion’s LTC
Anthony Lieggi and Sfc.
Michael Stutzke presented checks
to three Spokane area veteran’s
groups with funds made during
September’s March for the Fallen
at a Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club
match.
Airmen from the 242 Combat
Communications Squadron,
represented the Washington Air
National Guard in the Wreath’s
Across America ceremony held at
the Eastern Washington Veterans
Cemetery, Medical Lake,
Washington.
Last month, The Tri-Tech Skills
Center in Kennewick, WA held a
critical skills workshop and Echo
Co. 181st BSB was there supporting the event. The unit sent three
mechanics along with equipment
for the workshop. The Guardsmen
briefed the students about the
different pieces of equipment and
their job duties in Echo Co.
Soldiers of the 96th Military
Engagement Team (MET) and
HHC, 181st BSB “BDOC” raised
money for the St. Jude Childrens
Hospital (Memphis, TN)
participating in the shadow
1/2-marathon at Camp Arifjan,
Kuwait on December 7, 2013.
EMD Gives Back to Local School
C
Story by Wendy Freitag, External Affairs Director, EMD
ause for celebration: Rowdiness happens rarely
in the hallways of the Life Christian Academy in Tacoma, but
rowdy good cheer broke out briefly among these third-graders
when they and their principal, Suzanne Corrigan (on the left in
dark clothing), accepted a prize for the school’s participation in the
Great Washington ShakeOut on October 17. Making the presentation were External Affairs Director Wendy Freitag (in red) and
Public Educator Rosanne Garrand (seated) from the Washington
Emergency Management Division.
In the midst of the celebration, Corrigan said the school
plans to pass the gift along to a Life Christian family whose home
was recently lost to fire. Life Christian was one of ten schools
selected randomly from around the state to receive a $100 gift
card for their ShakeOut participation from Target Inc. This year’s
ShakeOut’s drop, cover and hold on drill saw 614 K-12 schools
and school districts join up, totaling 515,993 students, staff and
faculty. Other schools receiving Target prizes in addition to Life
Christian were Berney Elementary School in Walla Walla;
Catharine Blaine School (K-8) in Seattle; Creekside Elementary
School in Sammamish; Faith Lutheran in Redmond; Meridian
High School in Bellingham; Midland Elementary School in
Tacoma; North Pines Middle School in Spokane; Olympia High
School in Olympia; and Puesta del Sol Elementary School in Bellevue. And remember—it’s never too early to plan ahead.
Next year’s Great Washington ShakeOut is already on the
calendar for 10:16 a.m. on Thursday, October 16, 2014. Photo by
Linda Davis, Life Christian Academy.
MIL.WA.GOV VOL. I // ISSUE III 18

20. TSgt Tavis Delaney and SrA Woodford of the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, integrate with
FACs (Forward Air Controllers) of the 5th RALC (5th Regiment of The Royal Canadian Horse Artillery) to employ Close Air Support utilizing air assets from both the Discovery Air Defense Services as well as The Royal Canadian Air Force. Upon conclusion of their two week
joint training exercise, Delaney and Woodford were awarded a plaque from the Commander of the 5th RALC, honoring the training they
were able to provide and our alliance with the Canadian Military.