Last Wednesday morning, I found myself climbing into a National Guard helicopter at Morristown Airport about to leave for Camp Smith in northern Westchester County and a day with the National Guard. Being strapped into my seat, the state's adjutant general mentioned that the doors don't close. Have I mentioned I'm not a fan of heights?

Climbing above the rolling hills of Morris County and headed north to the majestic mountains of the Hudson Valley, any fears went away as I sat back and enjoyed the ride, taking in the scenery, grabbing photos and video and thinking to myself "wow!" I may have said it, but honestly you can't hear anything up there outside of what's coming through the headset.

So why was I on a National Guard helicopter and why did I take Westfield Patch from East Broad Street to 1400 feet above the Hudson Valley?

Last Wednesday I had a chance to spend the day with troops from the New Jersey National Guard, including those who are part of the Westfield Armory and other Armories across New Jersey.  The day was organized by the Employers Support Guard and Reserve program, an organization, which brings the employers of National Guard soldiers in to showcase the work their employees do as part of the Guard. A group of four from Westfield was organized to attend by the Armory's Family Readiness Group. The Westfield group, which did not consist of any employers, included me, Danielle Bracco, the coordinator of the FRG, and Tim and Chris Boyle, the co-owners of 16 Prospect.

The day provided myself and others in the group insight into the training of the National Guard and the work they go through here and when deployed. I am going to share some of what we experienced and you can also check out the photos and video for a better look at the day.
 
I think I can safely say the helicopter rides to and from Camp Smith remained the highlight of the day for everyone on the trip. If you want to see a bunch of adults act like children, land an Army helicopter at an airport and tell them they're about to get on. But let's move on, to some of what we learned.

We received briefings from Major Gen. Glenn Rieth, the adjutant general of New Jersey, both in Morristown and Westchester about the work of the Guard. The briefings had a distinct public relations spin on them, as would be expected coming from the head of the state's military. He shared some of tidbits including the amount of time members of the Guard engage in their training and duties, the range of professional backgrounds and the deployments, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with Cuba, Kosovo and Albania, where New Jersey troops helped get the country ready for admittance into NATO.

Moving out from the briefings, the group had a chance to witness some of the work from the training. This included an urban assault training exercise on the grounds of Camp Smith. Moving in teams around the buildings, the troops searched the area before a simulated assault mission on a building. Following the assault training, the troops engaged in a simulated medic training with several troops acting as wounded then moving onto the medic and others practicing for this reality of war. The group had a chance to see what occurs during a field medical review and the first aspects of treating the wounded. As the grandson of someone wounded during World War II, it was a sobering experience to watch.

Following the training exercise, the group moved onto a weapons simulator to have a chance to see this part of the training exercise. I won't lie; this aspect was a video game for adults to an extent. But it still gave everyone in the group the chance to experience the feel of the M16 and the experiences the Guard goes through when defending an area, etc. It gave a good feel and an insight into the Guard.

The day concluded with a lunch with some of the troops. This was actually one of the more interesting parts of the day, getting a chance to talk with some of the troops and learning about why they joined the Guard, their day jobs, the time sacrifices and the deployments. Learning about troops who had left behind jobs and lives for overseas deployments, leaving behind young families and then trying to reassimilate back into their civilian life. I have friends who have been deployed and I've heard their experiences and had a chance to learn more from these conversations.

Was the experience a public relations day? Yes. I think that was the main point, as public relations for those who attended. But it was a good experience to see some of the work of the National Guard and the training the members go through in addition to their full time jobs. Seeing some of what they go through and also experiencing some of the same things including the helicopter.