HARRISBURG, PA –
While the 28th Infantry Division conducts their final pre-mobilization for deployment to the Middle East, they invited their future supporting brigade attachments to a two-day US Army Central Intermediate Division Headquarter Leader’s Conference at Fort Hood, Texas on Feb 12-13, 2018.
The objective of the conference was to meet the leaders of the supporting units, build relationships and have effective communication to assist with the preparation and readiness for the Operation Spartan Shield mission. Meeting the members of the units early in the mobilization process can help resolve any unforeseen obstacles during the pre-mobilization or deployment stages; especially since the supporting units will be rotating at different times into theater during the 28 ID’s deployment.
The conference was an opportunity for subordinate units to share their strengths, any challenges they have encountered, and lessons learned in the pre-mobilization process.
“It’s rare, particularly, when you look across multi-components that you have an opportunity to engage with your higher headquarters this early,” said Col. Marc Hoffmeister, commander of the 20th Engineer Brigade. “We now have a resource as we finalize our deployment to reach to a higher headquarters in theater and to validate all of our assumptions. It will pay huge dividends as we de-ploy.”
Working with these future subordinate units ensures that the 28 ID support staff has the time to build relationships and effective communication for when the unit arrives in country.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about succeeding and completing the mission and if we can influence that in anyway, then we want to do that for anyone who is going to be part of the team,” said Col. Jeffrey Heasley, Chief of Staff of the 28 ID.