Governor LePage commends Major General Libby for his dedication to the State of Maine
22 February 2012 » By The Maine Army National Guard
For over eight years, General Libby has led the men and women of the Maine Army and Air National Guard, and he has done so with distinction. Our soldiers and airmen respect him, our veterans respect him, and our state was prepared for any emergency because of his leadership.
Photo during 3/172nd Mountain Company Freedom Salute Ceremony, January 2011.
Governor Paul LePage regretfully accepted the resignation of Major General John W. “Bill” Libby on Tuesday, February 21, 2012. Major General Libby serves as Adjutant General of the State of Maine and Commissioner of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management. The resignation is effective March 16.
“I have accepted the resignation of General Libby on his request. It is not something I wanted to do because the State of Maine is better for his service. He put Maine before himself when I asked him to stay on at the end of the last administration.
For over eight years, General Libby has led the men and women of the Maine Army and Air National Guard, and he has done so with distinction. Our soldiers and airmen respect him, our veterans respect him, and our state was prepared for any emergency because of his leadership.
Luckily for the State, he has offered to serve in other capacities in the future and I will certainly be calling upon him at the appropriate time. I wish him and his family nothing but the best,” said Governor LePage.
Major General Libby began his military career upon commissioning from the ROTC program at the University of Maine in June 1966 and held a variety of active duty command and staff positions in both Vietnam and the Federal Republic of Germany before joining the Maine Army National Guard in July 1975.
During his time as Adjutant General, he has overseen the mobilization of over 4,000 Mainers in support of the Global War on Terror. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal with two bronze oak leaf clusters, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with one bronze oak leaf cluster, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters, and a variety of service and campaign medals.
"It has been my greatest privilege and honor to lead the Maine National Guard. Over the past decade, the Middle East and Afghanistan continues to test our Maine men and women in uniform and their families,” said Major General Libby. “As I tell our WWII veterans, they are the greatest generation but this nation is currently being served by another great generation who are 100% volunteer for the first time in our modern history have fought with distinction in two simultaneous wars,” he continued.
“A decade of War has taken its toll on this nation, its treasure and this generation of warriors and we owe them what we promised them, our full support and necessary resources as they recover from their visible and invisible wounds. The support of our Governors during this decade has been magnificent and Governor LePage and the First Lady have continued that tradition," concluded Major General Libby.
The Administration will announce an Acting Commissioner in the coming weeks. Maine law spells out certain requirements to serve as Adjutant General/Commissioner and the Governor will send letters to eligible National Guard personnel letting them know the process to apply. A thorough search will be conducted and the Governor expects to have a nomination for the Legislature’s summer confirmation session. The nominee will be subject to review by the Veterans’ and Legal Affairs committee and confirmation by the Senate.
133rd Engineer Battalion Change of Command
17 February 2012 » By The Maine Army National Guard
MAJ Dean A. Preston assumes Command of the 133rd Engineer Battalion from LTC Normand G. Michaud during a ceremony at the Augusta Armory. Original Photo
MAJ Dean A. Preston assumes Command of the 133rd Engineer Battalion from LTC Normand G. Michaud during a ceremony at the Augusta Armory.
Recent History of the 133rd Engineer Battalion:
In 2004, the 133rd Engineer Combat Battalion deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, receiving the prestigious Meritorious Unit Commendation by the Department of Defense. As part of Task Force Olympia, the unit accomplished over 900 engineer missions across Northern Iraq. These missions dramatically transformed the Iraqi infrastructure and improved force protection levels for Iraqi and Coalition forces.
The 133rd Engineer Combat Battalion has a long history of providing military support to civilian authorities by reacting to flooding, ice storms and hurricanes in the State of Maine. In 2005, an engineer company deployed to Louisiana in support of Katrina Relief Operations. In 2006 and 2007, the engineer battalion supported Operation Jump Start in California and Arizona by providing engineer assets to support the Border Patrol agency and the Department of Homeland Defense. Recently, the unit sent a Maine Engineer Task Force to Vermont to conduct humanitarian relief and infrastructure repair as a result of Tropical Storm Irene.
The 133rd Engineer Battalion is composed of the following units: 262nd Engineer Company, 136th Engineer Company, 251st Sapper Company, 133rd Forward Support Company, 185th Engineer Company, 1035th Survey Section and the 133rd Engineer Headquarters. The units are stationed across the State of Maine.
Presidential Proclamation
National African American History Month, 2012
02 February 2012 » By The President of the United States of America
Official Procolamation from the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION
The story of African Americans is a story of resilience and perseverance. It traces a people who refused to accept the circumstances under which they arrived on these shores, and it chronicles the generations who fought for an America that truly reflects the ideals enshrined in our founding documents. It is the narrative of slaves who shepherded others along the path to freedom and preachers who organized against the rules of Jim Crow, of young people who sat-in at lunch counters and ordinary men and women who took extraordinary risks to change our Nation for the better. During National African American History Month, we celebrate the rich legacy of African Americans and honor the remarkable contributions they have made to perfecting our Union.
This year's theme, "Black Women in American Culture and History," invites us to pay special tribute to the role African American women have played in shaping the character of our Nation -- often in the face of both racial and gender discrimination. As courageous visionaries who led the fight to end slavery and tenacious activists who fought to expand basic civil rights to all Americans, African American women have long served as champions of social and political change. And from the literary giants who gave voice to their communities to the artists whose harmonies and brush strokes captured hardships and aspirations, African American women have forever enriched our cultural heritage. Today, we stand on the shoulders of countless African American women who shattered glass ceilings and advanced our common goals. In recognition of their legacy, let us honor their heroic and historic acts for years to come.
The achievements of African American women are not limited to those recorded and retold in our history books. Their impact is felt in communities where they are quiet heroes who care for their families, in boardrooms where they are leaders of industry, in laboratories where they are discovering new technologies, and in classrooms where they are preparing the next generation for the world they will inherit. As we celebrate the successes of African American women, we recall that progress did not come easily, and that our work to widen the circle of opportunity for all Americans is not complete. With eyes cast toward new horizons, we must press on in pursuit of a high-quality education for every child, a job for every American who wants one, and a fair chance at prosperity for every individual and family across our Nation.
During National African American History Month, we pay tribute to the contributions of past generations and reaffirm our commitment to keeping the American dream alive for the next generation. In honor of those women and men who paved the way for us, and with great expectations for those to follow, let us continue the righteous cause of making America what it should be -- a Nation that is more just and more equal for all its people.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2012 as National African American History Month. I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.
—BARACK OBAMA
