Henry Chapin, one of our founders, retired. Pictured are some of those attending the ceremony.
One of the missions of the 108th Griffon Association, which receives little notice or request, is for expenses that do not fall under appropriated funds. Non appropriated funds must be used which often result in personal donations by the members involved with that particular activity.
One such activity is “Task Force Marshall,” which has existed since 2005 and has trained over 35,000 service members since that time. Task Force Marshall is located at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina at the South Carolina National Guard facility called Camp McGready.
The purpose of Task Force Marshall is to train Navy personnel who are scheduled for deployment into land combat zones with the U.S. Army. Those involved are primarily medical, security and logistical personnel. Many of these service members have never worn combat gear such as helmets, vests, packs of any type, etc. in their Navy training. Most have never fired a weapon, which means rifle marksmanship is a high priority. Many have been on a ship for so long that they have no idea what to do on land.
This is where the 108th Tng Cmd and their drill sergeants have an important mission. At two-week intervals, between 25 and 75 Navy personnel, who are scheduled for deployment on land with ground forces, are assigned to Ft. Jackson. There, as described above, they receive the training and knowledge to function properly and effectively with land forces, particularly in a combat zone such as Afghanistan.
The training received, both enlisted and officer, is not that of a new recruit but rather as one professional to another. This enables a good relationship between the trainer and trainee and results in a less stressful environment thus resulting in a better trained and knowledgeable graduate.
Your 108th Griffon Assoc. contributes to Task Force Marshall by providing funds that are needed for morale, awards, and other areas where appropriated funds are prohibited. A lot of this money, in the past, came at the personal expense of the 108th members involved. Our contribution, not to any specific individual, has been well received and appreciated. Again, this is one of the purposes of the 108th Griffon Assoc. That is to support the 108th Tng. Cmd. and its subordinate divisions.
This and other areas of association support are not possible without the support of its members. Without a strong and continuing membership this all volunteer organization cannot continue to function and exist. For only a $10 tax deductible yearly membership or a $108 lifetime membership you will keep, help to maintain, and grow the 108th Griffon Assoc. You may be assured that all the monies raised through memberships, donations, and fund raisers will be funneled back to the 108th Tng. Cmd. minus a very small administrative expensive such as stamps. Be a part of giving back to our Soldiers by filling out the form on this page and returning to the association.