Arnold National Guardsman Meets His MLB Cardinals Heroes at the World Series

Arnold resident, Capt. Joey Schmitz, deputy commander of the Missouri National Guard’s 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, had some difficulty with his World Series assignment earlier this month.

The team’s assignment was to support St. Louis Fire Department in and around Busch Stadium on Oct. 20.

"It's not so much our capabilities, but that we are an additional force to help them," Schmitz said in a news release.

Their mission was to assess suspected or known terrorist threats, advise civilian authorities of proper responses, and assist local emergency responders in case a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive weapon of mass destruction is used.

Composed of Air and Army Guardsmen, the Jefferson City-based unit must be able to send an advance  team within 90 minutes at all times to investigate potential threats that include mass sickness, mysterious white powder, and unidentified contaminations.

Schmitz is a Cardinals fan and said the chance to support them, through his  Guardsmen job, by working in the stadium command post was awesome.

He said it was difficult to watch the security monitors for possible threats instead of watching the World Series game.

"But it was awesome to be able to watch the game from that vantage point. I could watch the ball go straight from the pitcher over home plate through the strike zone - I could tell before it showed on TV if it was a strike or ball."

The team trains with first responders throughout the state for missions like this about twice a month. In fact, had the Cardinals not reached the World Series, the unit would have been training in Kansas City.

"It was great to be able to be there and do our job as Missouri National Guardsmen supporting our citizens," Schmitz said. "At the same time, personally it was outstanding to be able to support my Cardinals and their pursuit of another World Series championship."

Sgts. Jason Allabaugh and Joseph Mell, who are team members, bumped into the St. Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Jason Motte, Skip Shumaker and Mark McGwire while monitoring the stadium for radiation prior to Game 2 of the series.

"It was good to be at the World Series and represent the Missouri National Guard," said Allabaugh, who lives in Jefferson City.

"This was phenomenal - an experience that I'll never forget," said Mell, who also lives in Jefferson City. "I got to meet my lifetime idol Mark McGwire.”

Mell said he knew might get a glimpse of the Cardinals players and coaches on the field, and felt lucky to have that opportunity because of his status as a Guardsman.

But he never expected to have the chance to meet any of them face to face.

Mell and Allabaugh shook hands with a few Cardinals and answer a few of the baseball players’ questions about the military presence at the game.

"They were interested in our equipment, what we were doing and what we were checking for," Allabaugh said

"They were all relaxed and real friendly - there was no animosity with us being there," Mell said. "They were asking what we're looking for and we let them know that we were there for their protection. They were great with it - very personal and outgoing with shaking our hands and welcoming us."

"Not many people get the opportunity to even see the players from a distance with the prices of today's World Series tickets," Mell said. "It was great to get the opportunity to go and do our job. To have it be at the World Series was a major bonus. We had access to areas where no one else did."

Allabaugh, who grew up in the state of California, said he remember following McGwire's career when he was with the Oakland Athletics and was awed by meeting Pujols.

"Pujols is one of the major current stars of baseball and one of the veterans on the Cardinals, so getting to meet him is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said. "Getting to meet them up-close and personal, and sit and talk with those guys, I got to see that they were pretty down to earth."

Editor's Note: Missouri National Guard State Public Affairs Officer Maj. Tamara Spicer contributed greatly to this story.