{"id":4322,"date":"2026-04-08T00:32:55","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=4322"},"modified":"2026-04-08T00:32:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:32:58","slug":"florida-air-defense-battalion-trains-with-82nd-airborne-in-first-minuteman-rotation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=4322","title":{"rendered":"Florida Air Defense Battalion Trains with 82nd Airborne in First Minuteman Rotation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FORT POLK, La. \u2014 Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard\u2019s 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment trained alongside the 82nd Airborne Division during a combat training center rotation 15-20 March, marking the first time a Guard unit has integrated into an active-duty rotation under the National Guard\u2019s new Minuteman Rotation concept.<\/p>\n

The Minuteman concept aligns National Guard annual training with combat training center rotations, allowing units to meet their 15-day requirement while operating alongside active-duty formations. Leaders said the approach increases readiness and interoperability across the total force.<\/p>\n

Senior Army National Guard leaders visited the rotation March 19-20, including Director of the Army National Guard Lt. Gen. Jon M. Stubbs, Command Sgt. Maj. James (Brian) Kendrick, along with Florida Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John D. Haas and Command Sgt. Maj. Robert F. Sweat. The visit highlighted the integration of Guard forces into active-duty training and the expansion of opportunities for Guard units to train in high-intensity environments.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is about building a total force that can close with and destroy the enemy,\u201d Stubbs said during the visit. \u201cWhat we are seeing here is a National Guard battalion fully integrated with an active-duty brigade, delivering a capability that is critical on today\u2019s battlefield.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

At JRTC, often referred to as \u201cthe box,\u201d units contend with a near-peer opposing force, limited resources and extended operations. The environment tests a unit\u2019s ability to operate under stress while maintaining command and control across dispersed terrain.<\/p>\n

The Florida battalion provided short-range air defense capabilities during the rotation, focusing on countering unmanned aircraft systems and low-altitude threats. Soldiers employed Sentinel radar and Avenger air defense systems while repositioning with maneuver elements to protect command posts, logistics nodes and key terrain.<\/p>\n

A live battery moved with the brigade throughout the exercise, while the battalion headquarters operated as a division-level air defense element in a simulated environment. Leaders said the integration allowed the unit to train as it would fight in a real-world conflict.<\/p>\n

Army Lt. Col. Adam Bailey, commander of 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery, said the unit prepared for the rotation through multiple command post exercises with the 82nd Airborne Division before arriving at JRTC.<\/p>\n

\u201cComing to JRTC, we rapidly integrated into division\u2019s scheme of maneuver and protection plan. That enabled us to execute a true [Short Range Air Defense] mission in support of a division,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Panther Brigade\u2019s dispersed operations increased exposure to aerial threats, particularly small drones capable of disrupting command and control or target sustainment operations.<\/p>\n

Army Col. Daniel Leard, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, said the Army Guard unit filed a critical capability gap.<\/p>\n

\u201cAir defense is a critical enabler \u2014 we could not have executed our mission without them,\u201d Leard said. \u201cThe Soldiers of 3-265 ADA integrated with our team on the fly. They were experts on their systems and that made an immediate impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Army National Guard\u2019s Minuteman Rotation aligns annual training with combat training center rotations, enabling units to build readiness in a high-intensity environment alongside active-duty forces.<\/p>\n

Kendrick, who previously served as the command sergeant major of the Florida National Guard, said the training reflects how the force will operate in future conflicts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is exactly where our Soldiers need to be,\u201d Kendrick said. \u201cTraining at this level, with this kind of realism, ensures they are ready to deploy and fight as part of a larger team.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The approach does not replace traditional Army National Guard rotations but expands access to high-end training while supporting Soldiers\u2019 civilian careers, education and communities. Stubbs said the goal is to integrate a Guard element into every combat training center rotation.<\/p>\n

For junior soldiers, the experience highlighted the pace and complexity of modern warfare.<\/p>\n

Army Sgt. Jason Dumervile, Headquarter and Headquarters Battery, said the experience changed how he views his role.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see how everything connects,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are not just protecting ourselves \u2014 we are protecting the whole brigade so they can accomplish their mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Florida leaders said the battalion\u2019s performance demonstrated the value of integrating Guard units into active-duty training environments as the Army adapts to evolving threats.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m incredibly proud of our Florida Guardsmen,\u201d said Haas. \u201cThey\u2019re highly disciplined and have benefitted from great leadership to ensure they\u2019re trained and ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Lt. Col. Carla Raisler<\/em><\/p>\n

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FORT POLK, La. \u2014 Soldiers from the Florida Army National Guard\u2019s 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment trained alongside the 82nd Airborne Division during a combat training center rotation 15-20 March, marking the first time a Guard unit has integrated into an active-duty rotation under the National Guard\u2019s new Minuteman Rotation concept. The Minuteman […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-army"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4322"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4324,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4322\/revisions\/4324"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}