Missouri National Guard hosts legislative visit to state headquarters

By: Silas Allen
Unit Public Affairs Representative




JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri National Guard hosted several members of the Missouri House of Representatives during a legislative tour of the Guard's state headquarters at Ike Skelton Training Site in Jefferson City on March 29.

The legislators, who were primarily members of the public safety and budget committees, participated in a number of activities, including a command brief with Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, a video conference call with members of Agribusiness Development Teams III and IV, and a tour of the Patriot Center, the Missouri National Guard's family and support services center.

Calling Missouri National Guard operations "a well-oiled machine," Rep. Mark Bruns, R-Jefferson City, said he appreciated the opportunity to see Missouri Soldiers and Airmen at work. Bruns, the chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, said it was particularly important for members of his committee to have a solid understanding of the National Guard and its missions, initiatives and capabilities.

"It was a pretty overwhelming experience to come out and see what our Citizen-Soldiers do," Bruns said.

During the video teleconference with the Agribusiness Development Teams, legislators were given the opportunity to ask questions about the mission of the Agribusiness Development Team program and what kind of progress the team is making in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province.

The third team has been in the province since September, working with Afghan farmers and government officials to reinvigorate the region's agriculture and livestock industry, said Lt. Col. Ronny Mast, the third team's commander.

"Years of war and neglect have left the agriculture infrastructure in Afghanistan in ruins," Mast said.

Mast said the efforts of his team, as well as those the previous two teams, have gone a long way toward assisting counterinsurgency operations in the region. The teams have effectively fostered trust between the citizens of Nangarhar Province and the Afghan government. By providing the region with a way of feeding itself, the team gives locals a sense of stability and a viable alternative to the Taliban, Mast said.

Col. Glenn Hagler, Missouri National Guard chief of staff, said the sense of stability the teams impart is critical to counterinsurgency operations in the region. The teams help build locals' confidence in their own ability to provide for themselves, Hagler added. They also foster trust between Afghan officials and the U.S. military.

"They know we're with them all the way through this," Hagler said.

During the tour of the Patriot Center, Lt. Col. Regina Kilmer explained that the center is the result of the Missouri National Guard's effort to centralize its family and support services. The center includes a number of services, including offices of the Family Program, the Yellow Ribbon Program, Retiree Services and the Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

"What we're trying to do is get our arms wrapped around getting help to people who need it," Kilmer said.

Other highlights of the legislative visit included a tour of the Missouri National Guard's Combined Service Maintenance Shop; a demonstration of the Electronic Skills Trainer 2000, a video-based weapons simulator; and a ride on an M1 Abrams tank.