Schechter parent leads National Guard team
By John Dunphy
April 11, 2008
He'll gladly let you call him by his first name, just don't call him a "weekend warrior."
Maj. Jesse Arnstein, of
Prior to graduation from Rutgers Law School Camden in 1994, Arnstein, 38, realized "I wanted to be in the military."
"I went into ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps), and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant," Arnstein said. He practiced for the next eight years as a judge advocate in the active duty Air Force.
After his roles in the military had taken him all over the world, Arnstein decided in 2003 he wanted to settle down in his home state. "I'd gotten married [in 1999]," he said, adding that his oldest child had just been born at that time. "Also, I wanted a career change. I was looking for new challenges."
That career change led to several years in construction, which Arnstein found unsatisfying. He returned to the military.
Arnstein's function as commander of the 21st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team is to oversee a 22-person full-time group that responds to weapons of mass destruction terrorist attacks, primarily in
When not responding to potential threats, the unit stays conditioned by going around the state, training with other emergency responders including other agencies such as the state police, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and New Jersey Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness. Though he says most people associate the National Guard with a part-time "weekend warrior" image, "We're the only full time operational New Jersey National Guard Unit responding to terrorist attacks."
"There are 8,000 people in the New Jersey National Guard," he noted. "There are some full-time people, such as national guardsman." Only about five percent of those in the National Guard work on a full-time basis, he said.
When asked what he would say to the average New Jerseyan who is not aware of terrorist attacks on state soil, Arnstein points out that, seven years ago, just one month after 9/11, anthrax-laced letters were sent around the country from a Hamilton post office.
Rabbi Michael Klein, of Ahavat Achim, in Howell, has known Arnstein since September 2003, when he joined the congregation. "He's a very fine, very involved member with a strong dedication to Judaism," Klein said.
Klein was in attendance when Arnstein was promoted to commander last year, an invitation he said he was honored to receive.
"It was very special, very moving," Klein said. "We're very proud of Jesse. He has a great responsibility and he fulfills a mission that needs to be fulfilled and he does it with all his heart and soul."
Klein said that examples like Arnstein show that "Jewish people in
Arnstein was active in the Rutgers University Chabad, developing a friendship with Rabbi Baruch Goodman. His children attend the Solomon Schechter Academy of Ocean and
Pursuing his faith while protecting his country, the Arnstein said, was not always the easiest thing to do, especially when he has been traveling. "We do a lot of training around the country," he said. "One year, I spent Purim in
"My wife wasn't too pleased," he added with a laugh. "It's quite a challenge not being home during this period."
Still, Arnstein said he enjoys what he does. "Some of the most rewarding experiences of my life have been in military uniform."
Despite the possibility of being put in harm's way on a daily basis, Arnstein calls his promotion a privilege.
"But, like most people, my successes are built upon the people around me," he said. "The commander is similar to a conductor in an orchestra. They all make the music. I'm just up there watching and giving a little guidance."