Photo By Sgt. Javen Owens | U.S. Army Reserve, National Guard and V Corps senior leaders pose for a photo in front...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky. — V Corps held its third annual Reserve Component Symposium at V Corps Headquarters in Fort Knox, Kentucky, Nov. 22-23.
Leaders from V Corps, U.S. Army Reserve and the Army National Guard gathered for a collaborative discussion over an array of topics from the posture of U.S. forces in Europe and the State Partnership Program, to overcoming challenges between the components.
“The symposium is an opportunity for V Corps, Army Reserve and National Guard leaders to get a shared understanding of the corps mission, the corps lines of effort, and the operating environment on the eastern flank of NATO,” said V Corps Deputy Commanding General Maj. Gen. Timothy Thombleson, an Indiana National Guard Soldier. “At any given time, we've got 900 or more Army Reserve or National Guard Soldiers underneath the structure of V Corps.”
V Corps relies on the National Guard and Army Reserve for a military police battalion and a regional support group and exclusively on the Reserve for a civil affairs battalion. Additionally, National Guard and Reserve support V Corps’ rotational division sustainment brigades with transportation, combat service, support, etc.
“There are many more in theater working either with the 21st Theater Sustainment Command or … for the 7th Army Training Command,” said Thombleson. “Our reliance on the United States [Army] Reserve and Army National Guard is pretty high to accomplish our mission.”
Approximately 1,500 Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, 7% of the force, are supporting V Corps efforts throughout the operating area working with NATO Allies and partners to develop lethality among the forces to deter potential adversaries.
One of the ways the National Guard supports NATO Allies and partners is through the State Partnership Program, known as SPP.
“The National Guard has State Partnership Programs in 27 countries in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility,” said Col. Terry A. Saul, Sr., deputy director of future operations, and training and exercises, Army National Guard. “Our relationship in Europe is with the geographical combatant command, EUCOM. SPP’s mission is to support the security cooperation objectives of the United States and geographic combatant commands by developing enduring relationships with partner countries and carrying out activities to build partner capacity, improve interoperability, and enhance U.S. relations while increasing the readiness of the U.S. and partner forces to meet emerging challenges.”
To accomplish this, the state adjutant generals maintain year-round communication, building strong ties with the military leaders from partner countries.
“One of my counterparts from North Carolina said, ‘You know, the active-duty generals can call and schedule an office call. The [adjutant generals] of the SPPs can go in and borrow the car keys’,” said Thombleson about the close relationship the National Guard has with each partner nation. “So, it's extremely important that we, here at V Corps, understand that relationship… and how we can leverage that to benefit all three entities.”
The symposium provided an arena to build that understanding which is critical for the forces to operate in a joint environment.
“Any attempt to synchronize efforts across components in support of SPP countries benefits V Corps, Army National Guard, and EUCOM priorities and initiatives,” said Saul. “SPP events that tie into or build upon other V Corps efforts in our partner countries will help us maximize our limited resources, reduce redundancies, and build on our successes.”
In addition to the SPP, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers support the corps through participating in some of the over 50 joint training exercises V Corps conducts annually. While the reserve component Soldiers are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice and merge seamlessly with their active counterparts, planning to support exercises can be challenging.
“In the multiple exercises that V Corps does, most of them with Allies and most of them centered in Europe, the active duty planning horizon is much shorter than what is comfortable for the Reserve components,” said Thombleson about challenges. “Sometimes, we on the active-duty side take for granted a little bit of the planning horizon required for our Reserve component teammates.”
Thombleson acknowledged the challenges the other components face juggling civilian lives as well as military requirements.
“We want them to be successful in their civilian endeavors and successful in their military endeavors,” Thombleson said. “It goes back to planning horizons and us getting in a better posture.”
The symposium was a time for the three components to work out those challenges and discuss potential solutions. At the conclusion of the event, participants left with a clear picture of V Corps’ mission and how they play into the success of that mission.
“So, really, the corps’ mission is deterrence, right?” said Thombleson. “That shared understanding can help them look at what we're doing for deterrence, which is our ultimate objective and what success looks like. And those who are our adversaries understand that they have a force that they cannot overtake, and they would be resistant to try to do so.”
He continued, “But in the tragic event that we were to go into a crisis or in an armed conflict in large scale combat operations, we're trying to minimize the time required to prepare forces to join V Corps in Europe. So, taking the operational understanding [they learned during the symposium], tying that back into the training program for their units, will ultimately help us to first deter and then, if needed, destroy the enemies of our nation.”
The Reserve Component Symposium served as a capstone of Maj. Gen. Thombleson’s tenure at V Corps and 37-year career in the Indiana National Guard. Following the closing remarks of the symposium, V Corps Commanding General Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza recognized Thombleson’s contribution to V Corps as the deputy commanding general of support and then as the deputy commanding general. Thombleson’s farewell ceremony, known as Victory Honors, is scheduled for December 5.
For more information about U.S. Army V Corps’ mission in Europe visit www.vcorps.army.mil
For more information about the Army National Guard State Partnership Program visit www.nationalguard.mil/leadership/joint-staff/j-5/international-affairs-division/state-partnership-program/
| Date Taken: | 11.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.26.2024 08:22 |
| Story ID: | 486157 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Hometown: | MARTINSVILLE, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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