PGR_NTX Patriot Guard A reminder

Tue Jul 7 03:30:36 CDT 2009

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Just a reminder that the Crowley Independence Day celebration is this
Saturday, the 11th.  The initial final itinerary posting is posted again
below as a reminder.  Let's please get out and support the good citizens of
Crowley as they honor America's independence.

Steve Lucas

Deputy State Captain

North Texas PGR

FINAL ITINERARY  

City of Crowley - Celebration of Freedom Parade

Mission Date; July 11, 2009

Ride Captain:  

Steve "Ghost" Hirtzel, 817-371-8498 9 (c); steve.e.hirtzel at lmco.com 

Celebration of Freedom Parade:  Saturday, July 11, 2009 - 10:00 AM

Staging:  9:00 AM, Briefing at 9:30 AM

Crowley High School Parking Lot

1005 W. Main Street

Crowley, TX  76036

Map:  http://tinyurl.com/oybj7o 

The parade will be approx 2 miles ending at Bicentennial Park - 900 E.
Glendale.  The Crowley Lions club will handle lining up the parade.  The
parade will be led by the NAS JRB Joint Honor Guard, along with the JROTC
Navy Honor Guard from Joshua, and the JROTC US ARMY Honor Guard from North
Crowley High School. 

This is the 10th year for the City of Crowley Celebration of Freedom.  It
will be the 3rd year the PGR has participated.  They are planning on placing
the PGR with David Hall and the Liberty Bell. 

This will be a great event with approx 8000 people lining the streets in
"Celebration of Freedom". 

The Grand Marshal will be CAPT Tracy D. (T.D) Smyers - Eighth Commanding
Officer of NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas.  Captain T.D. Smyers received his
commission from the United States Naval Academy in 1984, earned the Alden C.
Markey Memorial Trophy as the outstanding graduate from advanced navigator
training and was designated a Naval Flight Officer (NFO) in September 1985.

He immediately reported to Patrol Squadron 30 (VP-30) at NAS Jacksonville,
Florida for Fleet replacement P3C NFO training; and remained in Jacksonville
for his first Fleet tour with the Patrol Squadron 5 (VP-5) Mad Foxes.
Serving almost four years at VP-5 Captain Smyers completed three deployments
to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean theatres in the P-3C and P-3C Update
3.

Returning to the VP-30 "Pro's Nest" as a Fleet Replacement Instructor in
June 1990, he taught in the P3C Update 2, Update 2.5 and Update 3 and served
as Schedules Officer; Aircrew Training Officer; Foreign Military Instructor;
and Instructor Under Training (IUT)/Standardization Instructor.

In June 1991 Captain Smyers was selected for redesignation as a Full Time
Support (FTS) Reserve officer and transferred to the Reserve ASW Training
Center (RATCEN) at NASJRB Willow Grove, PA where he led the Naval Air
Reserve's P-3B to P-3C Transition Team; served as an NFO "Blue Card"; Headed
the Simulations Department; and performed as a Contracting Officer's
Technical Representative (COTR) for the acquisition of several advanced
tactical simulators.

In June 1994 Captain Smyers joined the Condors of Patrol Squadron 64
(VP-64), also in Willow Grove, as Training Officer and Maintenance Officer
during a two-year transition from the P-3B to the P-3C Update 2.

While serving his next assignment as Administration Officer with the Patrol
Squadron 62 (VP-62) Broadarrows in Jacksonville, Captain Smyers was selected
to return to VP-64 as Officer-In-Charge (OIC) in July 1999.

Following his OIC tour, Captain Smyers joined the staff of Commander, Naval
Air Force Reserve (CNAR) where he served as VP Program Manager during the
Reserve Force realignment. He left CNAR in September 2002 to rejoin VP-62 as
Executive Officer (XO).

>From July 2003 through July 2004, Captain Smyers served as the Broadarrow's
23rd Commanding Officer; leading the operational employment of P-3C Aircraft
Improvement Program (AIP) technology in Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in three operational theaters and OPERATION
ENDURING FREEDOM.

After his command tour, Captain Smyers studied at the National Defense
University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF). He graduated in
June 2005 with a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy and
completion of Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) I and II.

Following ICAF, Captain Smyers reported to the office of the Chief of Naval
Operations, where he served as Legislative Liaison and Section Head for
Collaborative Warfare and Common Systems in the Air Warfare Directorate
(OPNAV N88). On April 11, 2008, he reported to Commander, Navy Region
Southeast as the eighth Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Joint
Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. He resides there with his wife, Barbara and
their children Sara, Dalton and Brooke.

Captain Smyers' awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards);
Navy Commendation Medal (four awards); Navy Achievement Medal (three
awards); and various other personal and unit awards and citations.

Weather:  Sunny and "Hot"

Safety First: Hydration:  Begin hydrating lightly a day or two before and
increase use of salty snacks. Two hours before departure to the mission
drink from 12 to 24 oz. of water. Continue to drink small amounts of water
at more frequent intervals as the day goes. Remember, even if you find
yourself in a nice air conditioned room. You may no longer need water to
allow for sweating, but you will need to replace the water lost since your
last hydrations. "Your Safety Is Our Number One Priority".    

Please remember that our mission is to stand tall, and with honor and
respect for the veterans and their families. 

Respectfully Submitted,

Steve "Ghost" Hirtzel

North Texas Ride Captain

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