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Kansans, Kansas joins 184th con- British train communica- ducts active with Armenian tion network . shooter PlainsPlainsfirefighters . .5 GuardianGuardian . .8 exercise . .11 Volume 61 No. 3 Serving the Kansas Army and Air National Guard, Kansas Emergency Management, Kansas Homeland Security and Civil Air Patrol August 2017 35th Infantry Division assumes authority for Task Force Spartan By Staff Sgt. Jeremy Miller Council partnerships.” Maj. Gen. Victor J. Braden, commanding Task Force Spartan is a multicomponent general, 35th Infantry Division, assumed organization made up of active Army and command of Task Force Spartan from Maj. National Guard units rounded out by U.S. Gen. Blake Ortner, commanding general, Army Reserve support units. 29th Infantry Division, at Camp Arifjan, “In this role, they will perform the criti- Kuwait, July 13. The transfer of authority cal task of mission command for Operation ceremony was presided over by Lt. Gen. Spartan Shield, an operation ongoing since Michael Garrett, commanding general, 2011,” said, Garrett, “Now in its sixth year, U.S. Army Central. OSS is U.S. Central Command’s effort to TF Spartan’s mission in the Middle East deter regional aggression and malign influ- is to support the United States’ global ence in the region.” strategic plan, provide regional stability, Operation Spartan Shield is U.S. Central security, and maintain a land-ready opera- Command’s means to deter regional ag- tional force, said Braden. gression and stabilize countries within the “It’s a challenge we accept,” said region. From Egypt to Pakistan, Kaza- Braden. “We will build upon the success khstan to Yemen, the U.S. Central Com- of the 29th and expand Gulf Cooperation mand’s area of responsibility is 35th Infantry Division • Headquarters at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas • Commanding general is Maj. Gen. Victor Braden. Deputy commanders are Brig. Gen. John W. Rueger, Kansas, and Col. Jeffrey P. Van, Missouri. • One of 18 U.S. Army divisions. Maj. Gen. Victor J. Braden, commanding general, 35th Infantry Division, and Com- • Approximately 500 soldiers from headquarters element are involved in this mand Sgt. Maj. Timothy Newton, senior enlisted advisor, uncase the division’s colors deployment. This is the first time since 1944 the entire 35th Infantry Division during the Task Force Spartan transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Arifjan, Headquarters has been activated. Kuwait, July 13. The 35th Infantry Division assumed command of TF Spartan from the 29th Infantry Division. (Photo by Master Sgt. Mark Hanson) • Known as the Santa Fe Division. Shoulder patch is based on the Santa Fe cross used to mark the Santa Fe Trail. strategically important as well as volatile. Now, the unit once known as “The In- “We remain indebted to the National fantry Spearhead” of Lt. Gen. George S. • The division has a training alignment with 33rd Infantry Battalion; Illinois; 45th Guard Bureau, and the Director of the Patton’s Third Army, the 35th ID is part of Infantry Brigade, Oklahoma; 48th Infantry Brigade, Georgia; 67th Battlefield Army National Guard and the Army Re- the Third Army again to assume the mis- Surveillance Brigade, Nebraska; 142nd Fires Brigade, Arkansas; 35th Aviation serve Command for all they have done to sion of Task Force Spartan. Brigade, Missouri; and 110th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Missouri. ensure we can continue this important mis- The 35th “Santa Fe” Division deployed to • Organized in 1917 for deployment during World War I. Consisted of units sion here in the Central Command AOR,” Kuwait to accept the responsibility of Task from Kansas and Missouri. The division trained at Camp Doniphan and de- Garrett said. Force Spartan and oversight of Operation parted for France in 1918; involved in the Meuse-Argonne offensive in Sep- The two divisions also have a storied Spartan Shield. tember-October. past with shared experiences since World “The Santa Fe Division looks forward to • Elements of the 35th Infantry Division deployed in 2003, 2007, 2013 and War I. Both divisions fought in Europe dur- building and maintaining a ready land force 2014 to support higher commands in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia ing World War I and World War II, includ- that supports our nation’s goals of regional and Kosovo. ing 1918’s Meuse-Argonne Offensive and stability and security,” said Braden. “We the battle for Saint-Lo in July 1944. relish the challenge before us.” Gillock takes command of 997th Brigade Support Battalion By Steve Larson 997th Brigade Support Battalion to Lt. Col. Christie had been commander of the bat- Public Affairs Office Molly Gillock during a change of com- talion since it was activated in July 2016. PAID Lt. Col. Erica Christie relinquished com- mand ceremony June 16 at the Kansas Na- Standing up the battalion was “a lot of hard PRSRT STD PRSRT SALEM, OR U.S. POSTAGE mand of the Kansas National Guard’s tional Guard armory in Manhattan. work, a lot of extra weekends, which no- PERMIT NO. 178 PERMIT body complained about.” Chrisitie said leaving the battalion pro- duced “mixed emotions at this point.” “It’s always a blessing to take command and you have a lot more time when you’re not in command,” she said, “but there’s 584 of my favorite people that I just said good-bye to.” Christie stepped down from her position to attend the U.S. Army War College in Carlyle, Pennsylvania, where she will study strategic studies. She will also transi- tion to a job at Joint Forces Headquarters Kansas. For her part, Gillock said she had big shoes to fill, but she was ready to get to work. “I’m very, very excited to have the op- portunity to be a battalion commander,” said Gillock. “I’m looking forward to working with the soldiers. I’ve been out here for the last two weeks… to shadow Colonel Christie and get her battle rhythm 2800 Topeka Blvd. 2800 Topeka OFFICIAL BUSINESS OFFICIAL and work with Sergeant Major Posch. Adjutant General of Kansas Topeka, Kansas 66611-1287 Topeka, Penalty For Private Use, $300 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY THE OF DEPARTMENT Lt. Col. Molly Gillock (left) accepts the command flag of the 997th Brigade Support “I’m going to pick up where she left off. NATIONAL GUARD OF KANSAS GUARD OF NATIONAL Battalion from Col. Thomas Burke, commander of the 130th Field Artillery Brigade, We’ve got a lot of training challenges with during a change of command ceremony June 16 in Manhattan. (Photo by Steve Lar- a new battalion, a lot of work to do. We’re DEPARTMENT AND AIR OF THE ARMY FORCE DEPARTMENT son, Public Affairs Office) going to keep pushing on.” Page 2 Plains Guardian • August 2017 Kansas Soldiers, Missouri Airmen conduct joint exercise By Sgt. Zach Sheely Fitting it aboard the C-130H is an exercise Public Affairs Office in precision. The Soldiers had to reduce air The maximum allowable payload of the pressure in all six of the HIMARS tires, to, C-130 Hercules aircraft is approximately in the words of Air Force Chief Master Sgt. 42,000 pounds in a cargo hold that meas- Rhys Wilson, “stuff” it into the aircraft. ures some nine feet high. “This was two months of planning to bear On June 6-7, those limits were tested as fruition for about six minutes on the Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 130th Field ground,” said Wilson, an aerial port superin- Artillery loaded a High Mobility Artillery tendent with the 139th Aerial Port Squadron. Rocket System into a C-130H at Rosecrans The rapid infiltration simulated fire exer- Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, Missouri. cise is a drill of expeditionary accuracy, Airmen assigned to the 139th Airlift Wing and it is something that each component of the Missouri Air National Guard then would expect to conduct in realistic opera- transported the HIMARS to Fort Riley, tions. With the 1st Infantry Division coor- Kansas, where it was unloaded in a rapid- dinating the air space and landing zone, the infiltration, simulated-fire exercise. exercise gave both the Army and Air The joint exercise was a first for both units. Guard, and active-duty Army the chance to “We’ve been told that these HIMARS build on partnerships. are transportable in an aircraft since we “The partnerships have been great,” said fielded them in 2011,” said Army Staff Sgt. Cairo. “We’ve done a few things over the Aaron Cairo, section chief, Battery B, 2- last year with the 1st ID and now this with 130 FA. “I was skeptical because of the the Missouri National Guard and their C- weight and size, but now we’ve done it.” 130s. Having to do this downrange in a de- The HIMARS stands more than 10 feet ployment would have been a lot tougher A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System from the Kansas National Guard’s 2nd tall at its highest elevation, and though it without this practice today.” Battalion, 130th Field Artillery, is unloaded from a C-130 Hercules flown by the weighs approximately 32,000 pounds with- “It’s extremely important for us to all 139th Airlift Wing out of St. Joseph, Missouri. The HIMARS was loaded and un- out rockets loaded, it’s considered a “light” work together,” said Wilson. “Every time loaded from the plane as part of a joint exercise conducted at Fort Riley, Kansas, multiple rocket launcher. Mounted on an we do joint training like this, people’s net- June 7. (Photo by Sgt. Zachary Sheely, Public Affairs Office) Army Medium Tactical Vehicle frame, it works get larger. Everyone did well. The Riley, said that it’s more than just getting Cairo noted the experience and skill of can carry six rockets in a pod and is oper- aircrew did a great job; the Army did a fan- face time with other service members.