An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Sept. 19, 2023

35th Infantry Division Hosts 2023 Readiness Symposium

By Sgt. Evan Anderson, 35th Infantry Division

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – The 35th Infantry Division hosted the first Division Readiness Symposium, welcoming a diverse array of Army National Guard units from several states to division headquarters Sept. 9-10 to enhance communication and understanding and ensure operational, exercise and deployment readiness.

To prepare for possible large-scale combat amid global threats, the Army National Guard recently realigned its units. The change brought brigade combat teams and additional units under the eight National Guard division headquarters in Kansas, California, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

The 35th Infantry Division’s newly aligned units include the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the Arkansas National Guard, the 45th IBCT of the Oklahoma National Guard, the 72nd IBCT of the Texas National Guard, the 230th Sustainment Brigade of the Tennessee National Guard, the 35th Infantry Division Artillery of the Kansas National Guard, and the 35th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade and the 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, both of the Missouri National Guard. All seven units participated in this year’s readiness symposium.

“From a mission command table perspective, one of the first things you do is build the team,” said Maj. Gen. John Rueger, commanding general of the 35th Infantry Division. “We aimed to come out of this with a shared understanding of our roadmap forward and what we are doing in order to continue to build and prioritize readiness over time.”

Event participants shared insights, best practices and lessons learned. The two-day symposium served as a platform to align strategies, identify challenges and develop a unified approach to readiness. Participants also heard from Maj. Gen. John Andonie, deputy director of the Army National Guard, about the importance of the symposium and its objectives.

“It’s about people: building a team that is disciplined and fit to survive in order to win during conflict,” said Andonie. “As an integrated force, the National Guard is focused on building generational readiness to support domestic response and contingency operations around the world.”

The 35th Infantry Division command group, staff members, and all aligned brigade command teams discussed current and future operations, aligning unit training and enhancing division and brigade interoperability.

“It was a great opportunity to see people I have known and worked with for 10-15 years,” said Col. Andrew Ballenger, commander of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard. “All the synchronization and finding new ways to do things, particularly in the knowledge management realm, will help our own team streamline how we operate moving forward.”

“We are getting ahead of where the Guard wants us to be, a division synchronized and in tune with its aligned units,” said Brig. Gen. Nicholas Jaskolski, deputy commanding general of sustainment, 35th Infantry Division.

Increased communication and understanding were paramount for all involved in the symposium for operational, exercise and deployment readiness. Leaders shared what they hoped to see in future symposiums.

“Synchronization moving forward is going to be critical in remaining united under this new alignment,” said Ballenger. 

“We want to ensure we are prioritizing the building of relationships and that we are all moving the same direction and understanding the challenges we may face,” said Rueger. “When it comes time to face those challenges, we will do so together.”

 

 

Related Articles
Emergency management professionals and military members answer questions about natural disaster response during the 2025 Oklahoma National Guard Domestic Operations Symposium, in Norman, Oklahoma, April 15, 2025. The symposium brings city, county, state, federal and neighboring states together to build partnerships to face future natural and man-made disasters.
Oklahoma National Guard hosts second annual Domestic Operations Symposium
By Leanna Maschino, | April 21, 2025
NORMAN, Okla. – Emergency response agencies from across the state gathered last week for the Oklahoma National Guard’s second annual Domestic Operations Symposium.The symposium was held April 14-15 at the Armed Forces Reserve...

Military Police students attending the Tennessee Army National Guard’s Military Police Basic Course conduct tactical training at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site March 19, 2025. The students graduated from the four-week course March 21 and are now U.S. Army law enforcement officers and the newest members of the Military Police Corps.
117th Regional Training Institute Graduates Military Police
By Lt. Col. Darrin Haas, | March 24, 2025
SMYRNA, Tenn. - Fourteen new military policemen graduated from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s Military Police Basic Course March 21 and are now military law enforcement officers and the latest members of the U.S. Army...

Field artillery Soldiers assigned to Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, emplace an M119 howitzer during training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, March 7, 2025.
Oklahoma Army National Guard Enhances Artillery Readiness
By Staff Sgt. Anthony Jones, | March 12, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers demonstrated their ability to rapidly mass troops and equipment during live-fire artillery training at Fort Sill March 7-9.The Soldiers, assigned to the 1st Battalion,...