National Guard leader visits local unit

Dick Benoit

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004 | 10:24 a.m.

Nevada National Guard members involved with homeland security activities in Southern Nevada were recently paid a visit by the nation's senior uniformed National Guard officer.

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum visited the Guard's Southern Nevada counterdrug program to hear firsthand of the program's involvement with homeland security missions and its ongoing drug demand reduction program.

"Our program was heavily involved in the holiday security mission at New Year's and during a major homeland security exercise last summer, and Lt. Gen. Blum wanted to hear about our activities and see our capabilities," said Maj. Kim LaBrie, the state's counterdrug coordinator. "We wanted to give him a good look at one of the high speed counterdrug units in the country."

During his visit to the program's headquarters in North Las Vegas, Blum was given a familiarization flight aboard one of the unit's observational helicopters. These helicopters, the primary feature of the Nevada National Guard's Reconnaissance Air Interdiction Detachment (RAID), often assist law enforcement agencies with surveillance and security missions.

"Lt. Gen. Blum enjoyed his introduction to our program and his orientation flight," LaBrie said. "He was pleased with the opportunity to take his first hard look at a RAID aircraft crew in action."

Show on vets issues

Southern Nevada service members will have a new forum in which to address issues that affect their lives and those of their families beginning Feb. 28. That's when "American Veterans," a new local television show, will launch on UPN Las Vegas (Channel 25, Cox cable Channel 14).

The show, co-hosted by journalist Chuck N. Baker and mortgage loan officer Crystal Cole, will be seen each Saturday at 5 a.m. and feature interviews with active duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, among interviews with local veterans including representatives of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and several other veterans organizations.

Baker is an award-winning print journalist and a decorated Army veteran. He was awarded the Purple Heart for combat wounds sustained during the Vietnam War and has been reporting on and involved with organized veterans activities in Southern Nevada for more than 15 years. He also manages the Veterans Monthly newspaper, which serves as a dedicated voice for veterans in the local print media.

Cole, a mortgage loan professional and former talk radio host, will focus on veterans home loan benefits in interviews with officials and veterans designed to highlight the ways in which veterans can use their benefits to purchase a home and begin a real estate investment program to help secure their financial future.

According to Baker, about 200,000 veterans plus their family members live in Southern Nevada.

"Typically, except, during special holiday such as Veterans or Memorial Day, television programming does not reflect news about that large and growing audience," he said. "Because of my newspaper reporting on veterans issues, I am personally aware there is a large audience that will welcome this veterans television newsmagazine that will meet their special information needs and cover their issues."

For additional information about the new program, call Baker at 838-6638.

In brief