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Nearly 4,000 attendees packed the Baird Center last weekend in Milwaukee for the 147th General Conference & Exhibition, hosted by the Wisconsin National Guard.
The 2025 edition of the conference featured a wide array of professional development and networking opportunities as well as strategic-level insights from a U.S. senator and senior military officials — including three of the eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Brew City, hosting the conference for the third time since 1998, dazzled attendees, many of whom had never visited the city or Wisconsin before, and served as the backdrop for the many social events.
Golf outings at area courses, a sport fishing tournament on Lake Michigan, social mixers in the Deer District downtown and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ride through southeastern Wisconsin were among the highlights.
Capt. Ashley Estep, a Missouri Army Guard officer, said she enjoyed Milwaukee’s atmosphere and the food and beverage scene — particularly the cheese curds.
Inside the Baird Center though, it was all business — except for the always raucous Roll Call of States (above) — as senior leaders spoke to the Guard’s critical role in the nation’s defense and shared their vision for its future.
“When you mobilize the Guard, you mobilize the nation,” said Caine, who has spent most of his career in the Air Guard in New York and the District of Columbia, told attendees. “Rooted in all of our history is the Guard. From 1636 to 2036 and beyond, the Guard will always be there.”
He also articulated a unique attribute that the Guard brings to the warfight.
“It is the joint enlisted force that brings us the true exclusivity that America’s combat power has,” Caine said. “Often times, I contend that no one in the world is better than the enlisted force in the National Guard, because you bring your civilian experience together with your military experience. You deliver exponential returns for the United States of America.”
Meanwhile, Gen. Steven S. Nordhaus, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, also recalled the long lineage of the National Guard and the vital role it continues to play today.
“As we look back to 1636, our National Guard has been here for our nation, defending, saving lives, securing our homeland and our freedoms across centuries, across continents,” he told NGAUS attendees. “Our National Guard has always been there. We are 20% of the Joint Force, and 4% of the DoD budget.”
NGAUS attendees also heard from Gen. Randy A. George, the Army chief of staff, who spoke in detail about transformation of the service to prepare the force for the modern battlefield.
He touched on topics such as drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, streamlining force structure and improving acquisition timelines. But people, he said, will continue to be the priority along with ensuring they are physically and mentally prepared for the rigors of modern warfare.
George reiterated how proud he was of the Guard and its contributions, noting that approximately 22,000 Guard Soldiers are currently serving on Title 10 federal authorizations, while Army Guard troops make up 34% of the Army’s force structure, 42% of its combat power and 26% of its sustainment force structure.
Likewise, the commander of Air Mobility Command, Gen. John D. Lamontagne, praised the Guard’s contributions to his command’s core missions of global airlift, refueling and aeromedical evacuation.
“I’m telling you, nobody can tell the difference between an active-duty member and a Guard member,” he said. “Because you’re that talented, you’ve got years of experience and credibility, and you provide outstanding capability for the nation.”
In addition to hearing from senior leaders, attendees also had the chance to learn the latest from more than 350 companies that market products and services to the Guard in the tradeshow that is always a major part of the conference.
They also could also forge connections with their brothers and sisters in arms from across the 54 states and territories.
Estep said the chance to collaborate with other company grade-officers on important topics and ways of doing business was valuable.
“In our sessions here, just bringing back the knowledge of what we’re doing as a whole with the military, and our piece of the pie with the Guard and how we actually fit with big Army and the roles that we play,” she said. “If I can bring that back to my company and talk in a way that gets them motivated, we’ll have even better Soldiers within the Guard.”
Colton Rossow, a first lieutenant from the Minnesota National Guard, agreed.
“It’s just been a great time meeting all the other officers and just making those connections between our states,” he said.
The annual NGAUS conference also provided an opportunity for the National Guard to thank those who continue to support its mission.
Maj. Gen. Matthew Strub, the adjutant general of Wisconsin, helped present Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., with the NGAUS Harry S. Truman Award in recognition of her continued support and advocacy for the Guard.
—Reported by Lt. Col. Joseph Trovato, Wisconsin National Guard
