Conference Update: Milwaukee

Digital Version

Getting There

Most attendees traveling to the 147th General Conference & Exhibition will reach Wisconsin’s largest city through Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (reservation code: MKE), which is about 8 miles from downtown.

The airport is named in honor of Army Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, who was raised in Milwaukee. Mitchell served in France during World War I and commanded all U.S. air combat units in that country. He is often regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force.

All major U.S. carriers serve MKE, which is also home to the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing and its KC-135R Stratotankers.

The Wisconsin Guard Association’s shuttles Aug. 21 and 22 to conference hotels can be found outside baggage claim. WINGA officials promise plenty of signs and personnel in Operational Camouflage Pattern pants and brown T-shirts to direct you.

Taxis and rideshares are another option. Expect to pay about $30-35 plus tip each way for a taxi. Rideshares are a little less.

The City

Located on the shores of Lake Michigan just 90 miles north of Chicago, “Milwaukee,” Vogue says, “is a Midwestern city that feels like a coastal one, where sailboards bob in the harbor and golden beaches stretch along a shockingly blue shore.”

It’s also a city with great architecture, a thriving arts scene and a vibrant nightlife. There are more than 150 restaurants downtown plus pubs, bars and, of course, beer gardens. After all, the city is one of the beer capitals of the world.

Many Americans became acquainted with the city in the 1970s and 80s through the hit television show Happy Days. The sitcom featured a teenager, Richie Cunningham, his suburban Milwaukee family, his school friends and local greaser, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli in the 1950s and 60s. The show enjoyed a 10-year run.

Today, the city is home to the international headquarters of seven Fortune 500 companies, including Northwestern Mutual, Fiserv and Manpower.

Conference Business

Most meetings and the industry exhibition will be at the Baird Center (below), the city’s convention center. It’s a short walk from most conference hotels. Free shuttle buses will be available from the rest. 

All-ranks business/professional development sessions begin at 11 a.m. Aug. 23. Confirmed speakers include Gen. Dan Caine, the first career Guard officer to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Gen. Randy A. George, the Army chief of staff; Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus, the new National Guard Bureau chief;  and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. They are expected to address the conference theme: America’s National Guard: Affordable, Accessible, Lethal.

Also on the agenda are two panel discussions on topics pertinent to today’s warfighters. One focuses on the challenges posed by the Peoples Republic of China. It will feature Army and Air Guard officers assigned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Pacific Air Forces. Another panel will cover the threat at home and abroad posed by unpiloted aerial systems. One of the scheduled panelists is a veteran of drone warfare in Ukraine.

The agendas for the business sessions, the Army and Air breakouts and the separate professional development program for company-grade officers will be posted by Aug. 8 here.

There is also association business to conduct. One item is board elections. This includes the three representatives (adjutant general, Army and Air) for Areas I and IV, the Air retired/separated representative and the Air company-grade rep. Delegates will consider resolutions that will be the foundation for next year’s legislative agenda.

There will also be a Spouses Seminar this year. It’s set for the morning of Aug. 24. The agenda will feature presentations on family issues.

Big Show

Expect another large NGAUS industry exhibition in Detroit, but don’t plan on seeing the exact same exhibitors as last year. Nearly 40% of the roughly 350 companies or organizations that plan to exhibit this year are new, according to Tradeshow Logic, the Marietta, Georgia, firm that sells and manages the exhibition.

The tradeshow is unique among military-association exhibitions. Most are service specific. The NGAUS tradeshow reflects the wide spectrum of Guard missions: Army, Air and domestic response.

The NGAUS booth will again be near the middle of the show floor. This is where you can speak with association staff and purchase the 2025 National Guard Educational Foundation holiday ornament.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony opens at 9 a.m. Aug. 23, followed by a complimentary brunch.

Beyond the Baird Center

Social events and activities again this year will take advantage of some of the host city’s most popular attractions.

The member golf tournament will be held at The Bog in nearby Saukville on Aug. 22. It features an Arnold Palmer-designed course that has been named in Golf Digest’s Best in State rankings.

That same day, the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Ride is scheduled to depart from the House of Harley in Milwaukee. Bring your own bike or a local shop will have bikes available for rent. The route heads to Lake Geneva and the scenic hills of southeast Wisconsin.

Sport fishing will debut at this year’s conference. Take advantage of the waterfront for a day of salmon fishing on Lake Michigan in a charter boat. You may catch lake trout, too. Space on the boat will be limited.

The traditional conference mixers are set for the evening of Aug. 22. The company-grade/warrant officer event is scheduled for the Mecca Sports Bar & Beer Garden, while the senior warrant officers will be in the Gather. Both establishments are downtown in the Deer District, an entertainment complex across the street from Fiserv Forum, the home of the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks.

The all-attendee Governor’s Reception is set for the evening of Aug. 23 at Discovery World. The 120,000-square-foot interactive science center features high-tech exhibits such as a flight simulator, 3D tour of planet Earth, Les Paul’s House of Sound and a touch tank filled with sharks and stingrays.

Attendees will have the place to themselves with music, food and beverage set up available throughout. Stick around until the end. There will be fireworks after dark.

The Retiree Caucus and the Spouses luncheon are set for Aug. 24. Retirees will meet at the Harley-Davidson Museum in town, while the spouses will gather at the restored Pritzlaff Building in the Third Ward Historic District.

The final event of the conference, the States Dinner, will be back in the Baird Center ballroom. It’ll be themed as a traditional Wisconsin supper club environment with “come as you are” dress code. See the Attire Guide here.

After dinner, comedian Charlie Berens, creator of the funny Manitowac Minute video series, will entertain.

You can stay updated by downloading the NGAUS Conference App sponsored by the Armed Forces Benefit Association. It’s available at the Apple Store and Google Play.