BRUNSWICK
Logistics unit hosts change of command ceremony
In a ceremony in front of family, friends and fellow soldiers, 1st Lt. Windham Veevaert received command of Forward Support Company (FSC), 133rd Engineer Battalion, from Capt. Matthew Rodrigue on May 2.
Veevaert is a native of Belfast and a full time National Guard employee with the logistics section at Camp Chamberlain in Augusta. He has been a member of the Maine Army National Guard for six years.
Rodrigue is from Richmond and also works full time in Augusta as an assistant training officer in the operations section. His new military position will be as a staff officer in the 120th Regional Support Group in Bangor.
“I am so proud to have served with all of you,” said Rodrigue in his farewell remarks. “The soldiers and leaders standing behind you are the future of this company. Push them, train them, teach them, and the FSC legacy will live on.”
The FSC’s mission is to provide combat sustainment support to an engineer battalion or a maneuver element such as a brigade combat team. Together with Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), the two units make up the command element of the 133rd Engineer Battalion, which traces its lineage back to June of 1760.
LINCOLN, NEB.
Maine guardsman qualifies for national marathon team
Maine National Guard 1st Lt. Lucas Bourget, of Auburn, has qualified to make the National Guard Marathon Team after recently logging a three-hour and eight-minute run during the All National Marathon Trials, that included National Guard competitors from all across the 54 states and territories.
1st Lt. Lucas Bourget drives on during the All National Marathon Trials on May 2 in Lincoln, Neb. Bourget finished in three hours, eight minutes to become one of 70 runners who qualified for the National Guard marathon team. Staff Sgt. Anna Pongo
While he’s been running most of his young life, Bourget has not trained for competitive marathons until recently.
“While pursuing my undergraduate degree at the University of Maine, I competed for their track and cross country program,” said Bourget. “In 2015, a close friend asked me if I wanted to run the Sugarloaf Marathon and pace him for a Boston Marathon qualifying time.”
Bourget described a moment around the 17-mile marker of that race where he realized “how much I had left in the tank,” maintaining sub-six minute miles and finishing at a very respectable two hours, 47 minutes.
Bourget became involved in National Guard marathon program in 2019 and is now one of 70 men and women to make the team. He looks forward to races at various locations around the country and participating at various expos where he will have the opportunity to represent the National Guard.
Bourget works full time for the Maine National Guard in Augusta as a security specialist overseeing physical security, operations security, and antiterrorism programs. During drill weekends, he is assigned as a human resources officer for the 133rd Engineer Battalion in Brunswick.
KITTERY
U.S. Army to host national hiring campaign, offers up to $40,000 in bonuses
The U.S. Army is hosting a virtual career fair now through June 14 as part of the Army’s second nationwide virtual hiring campaign.
The event includes up to $40,000 in signing bonuses or student loan reimbursement up to $65,000, depending on qualifications, selected occupation, and length of the service contract.
This virtual career fair provides information about the many career paths and benefits available and answer questions potential applicants may have about life in the Army.
The more than 150 career options range from traditional combat roles in infantry and armor to support positions in healthcare, intelligence, and human resources. The recruiters will also discuss benefits soldiers receive, including health insurance, retirement plans, training and certifications, tuition assistance for college courses, and family support programs.
To enlist, individuals must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; be 17-34 years old; achieve a minimum score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test; meet medical, moral and physical requirements; and be a high school graduate or equivalent.
During the Army National Hiring Days event, the Army is offering a special $2,000 incentive for individuals who enlist in one of 11 priority occupations and ship to training by the end of September – these positions range from special forces and psychological operations to explosives ordnance disposal and air and missile defense.
The Army also is seeking healthcare professionals to fill vital roles as doctors, nurses, nutritionists and more. These positions have a variety of associated incentives, to include signing bonuses, student loan repayment, and scholarships for medical, dental or veterinary school.
Interested individuals can visit goarmy.com/hiringdays to see if they meet the qualifications, learn about part-time and full-time careers and associated hiring incentives, and connect with a local recruiter.
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