National Guard adjutant general speaks in Jackson

Members of the Retired National Guard Association learned Friday night how the guard was changing, and what a colleague had to say about his time in Iraq.

With more National Guard units being deployed across the country, the organizational structure has changed from what it was originally designed, according to Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, the Missouri National Guard adjutant general.

"Now it's an operational force as opposed to a reserve," Sidwell said to the audience of about 85 people gathered at the Knights of Columbus hall in Jackson.

While the Missouri National Guard was known for engineering units, the military's decision to spread specialties evenly across the country would reduce those units in Missouri, Sidwell said.

The number of infantry brigades in the state would also be decreased as the military emphasizes spending on equipment and research rather than personnel. Infantry brigades in the state will decrease from 34 to 28, he said.

Another notable difference is in deployment, which used to involve an entire battalion, according to Sidwell. Now, only specialized units within the battalion would be deployed, he said.

To help with recruitment and retention, which Missouri is ranked nationally number two and three respectively, a new program will offer cash bonuses to enlisted who help recruit new members, Sidwell said.

Also speaking at the meeting was retired Sgt. Maj. Billy Adams, of Van Buren, Mo., who has plans to move home to his native Cape Girardeau. Adams showed video clips of Iraq and spoke of his experiences in the country as a civilian training Iraqi police officers.

One video shown at the meeting was of a bomb inside a suitcase that exploded around a group of people. Shortly after the explosion, Adams said he saw a man with a video camera and requested he be taken into custody.

Officials later learned that the man with the camera was involved with terrorists who routinely videotape footage of their attacks to use for training and recruitment.

While in the country, Adams said he had the opportunity to meet many American soldiers, including those from the National Guard, and praised the audience members for their role in bringing up and raising the soldiers.

"I've never seen so much enthusiasm, so much discipline, or so much courage in all my life," he said.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

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