The Minnesota National Guard had a busy 2024, supporting state activations, federal deployments and a variety of other missions. These accomplishments would not have been possible without the people who serve the organization and the state of Minnesota.

“Our people are our greatest resource,” said Maj. Gen. Shawn P. Manke, the Adjutant General of the Minnesota National Guard. “Without their courage, commitment, and resilience, we could not achieve our mission or meet the demands of today’s complex challenges.”

The organization saw four state activations, with four Soldiers activated in May to assist in the Minnesota Boundary Water Search and Rescue, and 60 Soldiers were activated in June to assist with flood response. In July, 129 Soldiers and Airmen were activated to assist with the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin, and in October, 24 Airmen and Soldiers were activated to assist with Hurricane Helene efforts in North Carolina, while 13 Airmen were activated for Hurricane Milton efforts in Florida.

For federal deployments, in February, two Airmen with the 133^rd Fighter Air Wing deployed to Qatar, and in March, 536 Soldiers from the 34^th Infantry Division deployed to Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar. That same month, 25 Soldiers from the 147^th Human Resources detachment 3 and 4 returned home from Kuwait and Iraq. In April, one Airman from the 133^rd Air Wing deployed to the United Arab Emirates, and four Soldiers from the 2-245 returned from Columbia. In May, 24 Soldiers from the 247^th Financial Management Services Detachment deployed to Iraq, two Airmen from the 133^rd Air Wing returned from Saudi Arabia, and five Soldier’s with the 1903 Acquisition team returned home from Djibouti. In June, two Airmen with the 133^rd deployed to Kuwait. In July, 312 Airmen of the 148^th Fighter Wing deployed to Japan, and in August, 55 Soldiers of the 204^th Medical Company-Area Support deployed to Iraq. September saw five Soldiers of the 1904 Acquisition team deploy to Kuwait, and 35 Airmen from the 133^rd Air Wing left for Kuwait as well. In October, two Airmen from the 133^rd Air Wing returned from Qatar, and 312 Airmen with the 148^th Fighter Wing returned from Japan. December saw the return of 536 Soldiers with the 34^th Infantry Division return home from Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar, and two Airmen from the 133^rd Air Wing came home from Kuwait.

In addition to supporting and investing in its people, the Minnesota National Guard focused its efforts on the modernization of infrastructure, equipment, training and policies.

There were multiple facilities updates made, including a groundbreaking for a new armory in April that took place in New Ulm. The new facility $20.7 million facility will be 40,600 square feet and is part of the Minnesota National Guard’s Readiness Center Transformation Master Plan focused on building a new environmentally and economically sustainable training centers.

Notably, Minnesota was one of only eight states selected to receive the C-130J Super Hercules model aircraft.

“This modernization will secure the 133^rd Airlift Wing’s flying mission well into the future,” Manke said.

Other equipment modernization included the 1^st Armored Brigade Combat Team acquiring the M7 Bradley Fire Support Team Vehicle, and in June, multiple units of the brigade conducted driver training, maintenance, and vehicle operation familiarization for the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, of which the state received over 300 in late 2023.

Minnesota’s 34th Infantry Division was selected to execute a Transformation in Contact, known as a TIC, while deployed as part of Operation Spartan Shield in the Middle East. TIC is the first phase in the Army’s Continuous Transformation Concept and is one of the most significant organizational changes the Army has undertaken since the end of the Cold War. The 34^th Infantry Division was modernized with state-of-the-art communications equipment, resulting in the unit being one of the most updated in the U.S. Army. The equipment the division received is part of an integrated tactical network, known as an ITN.

Finally, the Minnesota National Guard continued its storied legacy of creating and fostering partnerships.

In June and July, a team of five Soldiers took part in the Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation exercise in Postojna, Slovenia, working with armed forces partners from seven nations, including Croatia.

Minnesota’s State Partnership Program with Norway featured 23 events between the two and builds upon a 52-year history of cooperation through the Norwegian Reciprocal Exchange, or NOREX. This year, more than 100 Minnesota National Guard Airmen and Soldiers participated in the 51^st annual NOREX from Jan. 31 – Feb. 14. This exchange remains the U.S. Department of Defense’s longest-running troop exchange.

In March, Canada’s 38^th Brigade Group completed their annual infantry foundations training, Exercise Sure-Shot, at Camp Ripley.

“Our partnerships,both longstanding and newly established, extend across Minnesota, the

nation, and the world,” Manke said. “We continue to build on our alliances with Croatia and Norway through the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, while maintaining regular training exercises with our neighbors in the Canadian Armed Forces.”

Story by Sgt. 1^st Class Sirrina Martinez
Minnesota National Guard