 Greetings, I'm Colonel Tim Gordon, Vice-Wing Commander of the 102nd, wishing you a happy April. Spring's finally here, right? And although it's been really cold this past week, it's safe to say we made it through the winter and the promise of warm weather is upon us. Today I'm going to touch upon two topics, our National Guard heritage and our military children, both having special recognition in the month of April. First, a little history about our National Guard lineage as the nation's first. In 1636, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony ordered that the Colony's militia be organized into three regiments, the North, the South, and the East Regiments. All males between the age of 16 and 60 from that day forward were required to bear arms and participate in the community's defense. In the next year, 1637, the East Regiment officially mustered for the first time in the town of Salem. This event marked the birth of the National Guard. Each year the Salem muster serves to honor the first muster with a ceremony conducted by service members, veterans, and community supporters. This year marks the 385th muster. On April 9th, next Saturday, a group of airmen from the 102nd will be joining fellow airmen from the 104th as well as hundreds of soldiers from the Massachusetts Army Guard to participate in the Salem muster. If you'd like to join us in Salem, reach out to your first sergeant or your senior enlisted leader for more details. Our history as the nation's first is a tremendous source of pride for all of us, and it's something we should cherish as members of the Massachusetts National Guard. Another source of unparalleled pride is the pride we have in our children. In April, we recognize military children. There are more than 1.6 million of them who face many challenges and unique experiences as a result of their parent's service. As we serve at home and abroad, the challenges and sacrifices made by our children are often overlooked. The month of April serves as a reminder for us. Right from birth, military kids sometimes endure long separations from their parents, Christmas birthdays, holidays, school plays, after school sporting events, all these things can impact their lives significantly. The strength of our military comes not just from those of us who serve, but also from all the loved ones that support them. So although we have many obligations as part of our service, the most heartfelt is that to our children. Give them an extra hug and make sure they know they are appreciated for their sacrifice, because we couldn't do what we do without them. With that, I thank you for your time, your service to our wing, and I hope you have a great RSD.