Army Master Sgt. Leland Lesher, Army National Guard force protection branch noncommissioned officer in charge and an Illinois National Guard member, swears the oath of extension and enlistment at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va., June 7, 2011. Lesher is one of the last active-duty Guard members who has service time in Vietnam. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Darron Salzer
Army Master Sgt. Leland Lesher, Army National Guard force protection branch noncommissioned officer in charge and an Illinois National Guard member, swears the oath of extension and enlistment at the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington, Va., June 7, 2011. Lesher is one of the last active-duty Guard members who has service time in Vietnam. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Darron Salzer
By Army Sgt. Darron Salzer National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va., June 9, 2011 – As one of the last remaining active-duty National Guard members with service experience in Vietnam, Army Master Sgt. Leland Lesher said the most rewarding thing about his career is the view from the top while at the Army Guard headquarters.
In a small ceremony June 7 at the Army National Guard Readiness Center, Lesher swore the oath of enlistment and extension for the last time in his military career, which began more than 40 years ago.
Lesher’s first enlistment came in December 1970 with the Marine Corps. After training, he spent a year in Vietnam.
“After Vietnam, I left the Marine Corps and went to college,” he said, where he learned about the Guard and made the switch. “I was a traditional Guard member, and after I graduated from college, I spent 22 years as a police officer.”
He originally enlisted with the Illinois National Guard, and also served as a North Dakota Guard member and as a member of the Colorado National Guard for a few years, but since has returned to the Illinois Guard. Over those years, Lesher has done a lot at home and abroad with the Guard, spending time in Vietnam and South Korea and providing blizzard, flood and ice storm assistance in North Dakota.
Since his first enlistment into the Guard, Lesher said, he has seen it go through major changes.
“When I got back from Vietnam,” he said, “the Guard was full of those who wanted to continue their military careers, those who wanted to avoid Vietnam and then those who, like myself, had decided they were done with regular military and wanted something else.
“Then 9/11 happened,” he continued, “and it changed the demographics of the Guard from those who had no or very little combat experience to a force that has 85 percent [of its forces] with combat experience. I’ve seen the Guard become very professional over the years.”
Lesher said he was part of some great units early on, and the camaraderie has kept him in the Guard.
“The North Dakota Guard and Illinois Guard really were some great units to belong to,” he said, “and they put off any reservations I had had initially about the Guard when I first joined.”
His final stop in his long Guard career is Stuttgart, Germany, where he will have an active role in the State Partnership Program at the U.S. European Command level.
“Part of my position in Germany will be coordinating with and assisting states that have State Partnership Programs with the European Union nations that fall under the European Command,” Lesher said. “It’s still at the level of assisting states, but it’s helping them to expand beyond their state borders.”
After a long military career that has seen the Guard mature over the years and become an operational reserve, Lesher said, he looks forward to his final tour in Germany and having the opportunity to work within the State Partnership Program.
“As my final three-year tour, it is just phenomenal,” he said.
Related Sites: National Guard Bureau
how i got this body; real people and their quest for fitness; MARCHING her way to fitness; JACKIE BECHTOLD, 32, OFFICE MANAGER, MINNEAPOLIS.(VARIETY)
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) July 31, 2011 Byline: SHEILA MULROONEY ELDRED WHAT IT TAKES: When we march and play, we feel the physical demands on our muscles from marching and holding up our instruments. As a horn player, I have to be able to control my breathing to the point where I can expel a large, consistent amount of air to produce a good sound on my instrument. When we have rests in our music, we are still moving (and winded), but we have the opportunity to “catch up” on our breathing. We strive to regulate our breathing so that we can slow down our heart rates, usually by breathing in and out in time with the music (in for four counts, out for four counts). go to site insanity workout torrent
IN TRAINING: Any conditioning exercise like running or swimming will help. I’ve been running for several years, and this summer I’ve started doing the Insanity workout — do you know the infomercial? It demands several minutes of very intense cardio followed by a short, 30-second water break to slow down your heart.
SMOOTH MOVES: Even the way that we march — it’s not just walking, you have to learn how to move your legs in such a way that you’re moving smoothly, with very little bend in the knee. You move your legs from the hips — and you find all these new muscles. You build a lot of muscle in your neck and back from trying to maintain a certain look while wearing constricting uniforms. As we rehearse, we add clothes so we’re not shocked when we get on the performance field. site insanity workout torrent
NINE TO FIVE: It’s almost like a full-time job on the weekends. Between January and April we rehearse one to two weekends a month, 8- to 9-hour days. Then in May we start learning the choreography, and we rehearse two full weekends a month. And every Wednesday from 6 to 10 p.m.
TOUCHDOWN: We practice in a church parking lot on Wednesdays. We line the lot to look like a football field. As we progress through June and July, they add layers of difficulty. They add moves with horns and dance movement in our feet — almost ballet kind of moves — so the audience stays interested.
GAME FACE: We have competitions scattered through the summer, and we do some parades as well. You have to stay focused and be in character and marching for a long time for a parade. It’s more about maintaining your mental focus.
MARCHING BAND FOR LIFE: A lot of nerds like me really love marching band, but after high school [usually] you’re done. Anybody between 16 and however long you can physically do it can do Minnesota Brass.
PAYOFF: The actual show is just about 10 minutes long. It’s just like a track runner. All that preparation for 30 seconds of running.
SHEILA MULROONEY ELDRED Special to the Star Tribune MINNESOTA BRASS What: The all-ages drum and bugle corps based in St. Paul performs at the Sounds of Minnesota field competition.
When: 6 p.m. Aug. 20.
Where: South St. Paul High School, 700 N. 2nd St., South St. Paul.
Tickets: $10-$12; 651-717-4382 or www.soundsofminnesota.com.
Minnesota Brass What: The all-ages drum and bugle corps, based in St. Paul, performs at the Sounds of Minnesota field competition.
When: 6 p.m. Aug. 20.
Where: South St. Paul High School, 700 N. 2nd St., South St. Paul.
Tickets: $10-$12; 651-717-4382 or www.soundsofminnesota.com .
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