N.D. Army Guard Soldier Participates in Presidential Inauguration
BISMARCK, N.D. - A North Dakota Army National Guard Soldier participated in
the inauguration of the nation's 44th president in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20.
Master Sgt. Ken Baer, of Garrison, N.D., worked for the Public Affairs Office
- Visual Information branch of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC) by
documenting the military support provided to the inaugural parade with
photographic images and video.
AFIC is a joint service committee comprised of all branches of the military
including National Guard and Reserve. Their mission is to coordinate military
ceremonial participation and support of inaugural events including color
guards and marching bands. Nearly 700 service members were assigned to AFIC
during the presidential inauguration this year.
Baer, who works as a public affairs specialist as a traditional Guardsmen,
was chosen to support AFIC from Jan. 3 to Jan. 24 after applying for the duty
through the Guard Knowledge Online Web site. He has long worked in the Army
public affairs arena including a 2006-2007 mobilization to the U.S. Central
Command area of responsibility with the North Dakota National Guard's 129th
Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.
In Washington, D.C., Baer was in charge of coordinating and scheduling
engagements for a photographer and videographer who worked under him.
"My job was to ensure everything was taken care of prior to the inauguration
so the other two members of my team could complete their assignments," he
said. "We spent hours preparing in an effort to eliminate any possible
glitches."
On inauguration day, the team documented all military participation in the
equestrian portion of the inaugural parade. Baer and his team began work at
2:00 a.m. to take photos of the staging area where military personnel loaded
trailers and saddled horses. Although the parade wasn't scheduled to start
until 3:00 p.m., early divisions of the parade were at their staging areas by
9:30 a.m.
"On a normal day, the early staging wouldn't have been an issue, but the
outside temps on inauguration day were in the upper 20s with gusty winds,"
Baer said. "It was extremely hard on many of the marching bands performing in
the parade. Their uniforms are not designed for cold weather."
In addition to documenting the equestrian activities involved in the
inaugural parade, Baer was also assigned to videotape the entire parade route
during an inauguration rehearsal. The video of the parade route was used by
AFIC and the Presidential Inaugural Committee to identify any areas that
might cause problems during the event and to complete planning on the parade.
In order to cover the route, Baer found a ride in the side car of a
Metropolitan Police Department motorcycle.
"Like my kids would say, the entire event was 'way cool,'" he said. "Though
we had heard constantly before inauguration day that the crowds were going to
be large, it was still a shock to see the streets completely full of people
trying to get onto the National Mall."
--
Since the terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has
mobilized more than 2,700 Soldiers and more than 1,600 Airmen in support of
the Global War on Terrorism. More than 3,000 National Guardsmen remain in
North Dakota and are available to provide support for state and national
emergencies and homeland defense.
Cutlines
High-resolution photos available upon request.
Baer 1: Master Sgt. Ken Baer prepares his video equipment before conducting
an interview outside of Baghdad, Iraq. The North Dakota Army National Guard
Soldier deployed to various locations within the U.S. Central Command's area
of responsibility from 2006-2007.
Baer 2: Master Sgt. Ken Baer captures footage outside Baghdad, Iraq during
his mobilization with the 129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment from
2006-2007. Baer recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he worked for
the Public Affairs Office - Visual Information branch of the Armed Forces
Inaugural Committee.
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