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Iowa Air guard completes mass casualty exercise By Master Sgt. Daniel Ter Haar 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard | AUG. 7, 2023
JSIOUX CITY, Iowa - Members of the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, participated in a mass casualty exercise during training the first weekend in August. Medical, firefighter and security forces personnel with the 185th ARW trained on lifesaving techniques with role players on the air- field. The exercise centered around a simulated aircraft accident with one of the unit’s KC-135R Stratotankers and featured actors with realistic-looking injuries scattered throughout the aircraft. Capt. Amber Franco, the medical administration officer with the 185th ARW, said the exercise enabled medical personnel to train as a critical care air transport team to meet new Air Force training requirements.
dinate training with the 185th Fire Department to practice patient egress from a KC-135 and critical patient aircraft loading with a cargo K-Loader. The training also tested Airmen on setting up an Emergency Operations Center and enabled plan- ners to brainstorm possible problems associated with an aircraft accident. “The Med Group working together in a mass casu- alty exercise allows us to be more dynamic in our roles,” said Franco.
35th Infantry Division hosts 2023 readiness Symposium
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 sur- vive in order to win during conflict,” said Andonie. “As an integrated force, the National Guard is focused on building generational read- iness 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 op- erations, 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, com- mander 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 divi- sion 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.
By Sgt. Evan Anderson 35th Infantry Division | SEPT. 19, 2023
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 Tennes- see 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 road map 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
Franco said she and other unit planners were also able to coor-
“Synchronization moving forward is going to be critical in remain- ing 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.”
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