Photo By Spc. Joshua Whitaker | U.S. Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry...... read more read more
Subscribe
HOKKAIDO, Japan - The 29th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment recently returned from Exercise North Wind 25, a bilateral cold-weather field training exercise designed to enhance the combat readiness and promote interoperability of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and U.S. Army in Northern Japan, January 31 – February 9, 2025 at Camp Makomanai, Japan.
Unlike the nearly 600 exercise participants attending to improve their arctic warfare skills, the five Maryland Army National Guard soldiers from the 29th MPAD were there to document the experience and tell the Army story.
The National Guard is full of specialty units, small detachments, and unique jobs. There are high-water rescue squads, liaisons for interoperability with partner nations, defensive cyber operators, and trained experts who respond to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) incidents. Everyone’s story needs to be told, and public affairs specialists are trained to show the public why they should care about what the Army does.
At North Wind 25, the story being highlighted was about the durable military partnership between the U.S. and Japan despite the challenging arctic-like environment.
“I was concerned that I would have to consider the weather more than I usually would,” said Army Sgt. Sophia Henry, a public affairs specialist with the 29th MPAD. “Our equipment isn’t designed to work below freezing and in multiple feet of snow, but we still found ways to get our shots. This was my first exercise with the MPAD and working in such a severe environment really put my skills to the test.”
Equipment concerns aside, large overseas exercises pose a lot of challenges. Logistics, language, and integrating with our partners can make or break the mission.
“I was initially concerned about language barrier and how we would carry on our public affairs efforts while coordinating with a different culture,” said Army Staff Sgt. Kimberley Glazier, a public affairs specialist with the 29th MPAD. “I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to work with the Japanese, in no small part thanks to Mr. Kawada-san, the U.S. Army Japan public affairs specialist that worked so closely with our team.”
Covering exercises like North Wind 25 is what an MPAD is made for. The 29th MPAD is a small unit with about 20 soldiers specialized in multimedia production and media interfacing.
Most soldiers in the 29th MPAD find their way into public affairs as a second or third military occupational specialty providing the unit an unique skillset. Soldiers from all different backgrounds, parachute riggers, electricians, patient administration specialists, cavalry scouts, Marine Corps infantry officers, and more who call the 29th MPAD home use those experiences to connect with the soldiers they cover. Until recently, the MPAD regularly sent only a small team to cover events instead of a fully-capable public affairs unit.
“When sending out only one or two soldiers to cover exercises, that doesn’t allow [our public affairs] unit to test its mission essential task list,” said Army 1st Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington, the first sergeant of the 29th MPAD. “That is a detriment. One of our tasks is to deploy as a unit and that is [our] ultimate purpose. If we don’t practice picking up all our stuff and hopping on a plane on short notice, the value we offer to the Army and the taxpayer is diminished.”
Since 2022, the 29th MPAD has been working diligently under the command of Army Maj. Erica Mitchell to realize their goal to mobilize the majority of the unit. Roll up started slowly with training and confidence boosting exercises but as the scale of the exercises grew, so did their skillsets.
Northern Strike 22 was the first test as five soldiers participated in multi-component, multinational exercise in Michigan. In April 2024, a team of eight soldiers supported Vibrant Response 24, an annual U.S. Northern Command directed command post exercise in Colorado Springs. A team of 10 soldiers worked together to provide comprehensive coverage for the Army National Guard 2024 Region 2 Best Warrior Competition held in Maryland. For the 60th Presidential Inauguration soldiers from the 29th MPAD staffed the Joint Information Center, providing coverage and media engagement opportunities for the nearly 8,000 National Guardsmen on ground in Washington, D.C., and the unit received recognition from National Guard Bureau leadership.
“I’m so proud of how much the MPAD has grown as a team during my command,” said Maj. Erica Mitchell, the commander of the 29th MPAD. “Our MPAD is setting the standard for what a well-trained public affairs team should be able to accomplish during a mission and our products speak for us.”
Going forward the 29th MPAD will work to maintain and pass on the skills and lessons they learned from all their missions acting as a microphone for those they feature and always keeping the mission in focus. For the next two years, the unit plans to attend exercises overseas with the full complement of the unit.
“The soldiers of the 29th MPAD are force multipliers as their products inform our leadership and key stakeholders about the value of the Maryland National Guard to our state and nation,” said Air Force Maj. Ben Hughes, state public affairs officer for the Maryland National Guard. “They are integral to showcasing our mission and the incredible achievements of our soldier and airmen while relaying important information to the communities we serve. I am proud to work alongside such great military storytellers.”
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.21.2025 16:29 |
| Story ID: | 492599 |
| Location: | MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 86 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Cold-weather exercise in Japan showcases public affairs capability of Maryland Army National Guard, by SSG Thomas Lamb, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
