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Kentucky's JFHQ keeps the Unbridled Service going

Feb. 28, 2011 | By kentuckyguard
sdm Story and Photos by Staff Sgt. Fredrick P. Varney, 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment [caption id="attachment_5505" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Sgt. Kristina Johnson, secretary of general staff for Joint Forces Headquarters, leads a block of instruction during Army Warrior Tasks training Feb. 6 at the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Joint Forces Headquarters office on Boone National Guard Center."] FRANKFORT, Ky. - - The Soldiers assigned to the Kentucky Army National Guard’s Joint Forces Headquarters have a unique role. Charged with ensuring units throughout the state are operational in times of peace, conflict or during natural disasters, the Soldiers of JFHQ are a vital asset to the operational success of the Kentucky Guard. “Our unit keeps everything going,” said Sgt. Christopher A. Turpen, human resources specialist for the personnel directorate of JFHQ. “The Joint Forces Headquarters personnel support each and every Soldier of this professional organization in some way or another,” he said. Whether it’s processing pay, calculating retirement points, issuing military identification cards, ordering beans and billets or securing training ammunition, the Soldiers of JFHQ work behind the scenes to provide administrative and logistical support to the units throughout the Commonwealth. According to Maj. Vernon Hubbs, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, JFHQ, the unit is critical to providing the needed oversight and support to Kentucky’s mission. “As units mobilize, JFHQ assists with the transition for Soldiers heading downrange,” said Hubbs. [caption id="attachment_5506" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Sgt. Walter L. Conn, unit supply technician, Joint Forces Headquarters, processes a supply request Feb 6 during inactive duty training at the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Ky."] “We ensure that units have what they need to be successful on the battlefield,” he said. But HHD’s focus isn’t just on deploying Soldiers. “You are a Soldier first, and then a skilled professional at your military occupational specialty,” said 1st Sgt. Alan Robinson, JFHQ first sergeant. “The Soldiers assigned to JFHQ know their MOS – most of the Soldiers assigned to JFHQ are full-time personnel who conduct the mission day-in and day-out,” he said. “And they do it exceptionally well. “But we also have to ensure we are up-to-standards on our Army Warrior Tasks and Battle Drills,” he said. “We have to maintain a level of readiness that supports any mission that comes our way so that we are able to move out and successfully complete the assignment.” The Soldiers must stay current on weapons qualifications, physical fitness standards and the individual and collective tasks that all Soldiers are responsible for. Recently the JFHQ Soldiers traded their cubicles in for training lanes as they freshened up on the WTBDs during a drill weekend at Boone National Guard Center. “Every day this unit supports the fight,” Robinson said. “On our drill weekends, we make sure we train for the fight.” [caption id="attachment_5507" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Spc. William J. Bullock, human resources specialist, Joint Forces Headquarters, prepares documents for processing inside the Personnel Directorate offices Feb. 6 during inactive duty training at the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Ky."]

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