Miscellaneous
Angela Beltz of Reynoldsburg is a 49-year-old Ohio National Guard veteran who served in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. Beltz’ military career started after her junior year in high school, having joined the North Dakota Army National Guard in 1986. She grew up primarily on the Spirit Lake Nation reservation and wanted to experience life away from it, she said. She also was looking for a way to pay for college. Military service might be in Beltz’ blood, as her ancestry is rich in it. “My great-grandfather was a scout for the U.S. Cavalry, (and) my relatives on this side have served in every conflict,” she said. “My grandpa served in World War I before he was officially a U.S. citizen and allowed to vote.” On her father’s side, military service can be traced back to the Civil War, she said. Beltz also recently submitted an application to become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Beltz’ basic training began at Fort Dix in New Jersey in 1986, during the summer between her junior and senior year, when she was only 17. She recalled a drill sergeant who was particularly challenging – frequently barking at her to do pushups. “He picked on me. Every time he saw me, he made me do pushups,” she said. “I hated going to eat because -- if he was marching us -- because I was guaranteed at least 100 pushups (during) that three-block (trek).” She said she had asked him at the end of basic training why he was so tough on her. He told her it was because she was so young and that he wanted to make sure she would make it. After basic training, Beltz returned to high school for her senior year. She recalled the students all thinking about homecoming and prom and how their hair would look. “Those things were no longer important to me,” she said. During a nine-month break, she said, she took part in an 11-day stint with the Marines but re-enlisted with the National Guard in North Dakota and attended refueling school at Fort Lee, Virginia. Beltz said the equipment for fuel was mostly the same as that used for water distribution. Beltz was deployed to Saudi Arabia in September 1990 and eventually was moved to Log Base Charlie near Rafha, a town in northern Saudi Arabia near the Iraq border, as part of the 134th Quartermaster detachment. The unit comprised 24 people ages 18-23, with the exception of three staff sergeants. Many of the soldiers had attended high school together, including her cousin. “We all basically grew up together, so it was really kinda weird,” she said. “It was like the Brady Bunch going to war.” While in Saudi Arabia, Beltz had to endure the threat of not only scud missiles but also chemical alerts. In one incident, a chemical plant had been bombed and the wind was blowing chemicals in the direction of her unit, prompting MOPP 4 – a mission-oriented protective posture that required all protection to be worn, including suit, boots, mask and gloves. She also described the stigma of being an American woman in Saudi Arabia, where women weren’t even permitted to drive. “You would see the strange looks of people … and you were a female and you were driving, they’re just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you know, what is this woman doing driving?’” she said. “Some of the police and border people weren’t real happy to have us there.” After six months in Saudi Arabia, her unit came home and was invited to participate in a ticker-tape parade in New York City that “didn’t work out.” Her plane had developed a fuel leak and had to land at an Air Force base and wait for several hours to have the plane dug out of a snow bank. They had missed the parade. Upon returning home, her Dakota tribal elders honored her with two Indian names because she was an “Akicita” – meaning “warrior,” she said. One was Kowakapi-Sni-Winyan, which is translated to “I Am Not Afraid Woman.” The other is Tasunka-Na-Kan, which is translated to “She Rides Her Horse.” Beltz had met her husband, Daryl Beltz of Ohio, overseas during Operation Desert Storm and transferred to the Ohio National Guard upon her return. Beltz’ next deployment was to Stennis International Airport near Kiln, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She said numerous units from all branches of military and most of the states had arrived there, even a North Dakota unit she had recognized – a water-purification unit. The flooding was devastating, she said, but the looting was widespread. Military personnel and police were under fire on occasion while trying to secure areas from being looted, she said. “It just gives you a glimpse of the breakdown of society when there is no law and order,” she said. In some areas, however, local residents were more welcoming, she said, even inviting military personnel to cookouts. Following her retirement from service, Beltz was hired by DFAS-Columbus and continues to take care of soldiers and their families. She’s also an advocate for women serving in the military and for female veterans. She is the chairperson of the Ohio Women Veterans Advisory Committee, under the director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. Her decorations include the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal with Star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the NCO Professional Development Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon, two Kuwait Liberation Medals, a Driver Mechanic Badge, the Ohio Commendation Medal and the Ohio Defense Service Medal. Her husband, Daryl, also a Desert Storm and Afghanistan veteran, is a lieutenant colonel in the Ohio Army National guard. They have two sons, Wyatt and Garett. Wyatt is now an airman in the U.S. Air Force. “So the legacy continues,” she said. This podcast was produced and hosted by Scott Hummel, ThisWeek assistant managing editor, digital.