99th READINESS DIVISION

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

Army Reserve Soldier inducted into N.J. sports Hall of Fame
Sgt. 1st Class Nichole Hill, security manager for the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, was inducted into the South Jersey Track and Field Hall of Fame this past spring for her many achievements at Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Hill, a Newark native, is a schoolteacher in her full-time civilian job. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve Soldier brings Best Warrior experience to Best Squad Competition
Sgt. Emily Newsome, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserve’s 198th Army Band, takes part in the Field Leadership Reaction Course during the division-level Best Squad Competition held this past March in California. The BSC tests squad members on the depth of their military knowledge, their physical fitness, proficiency in military skills, and leadership in both individual and team scenarios. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve leader celebrates Army’s 249th birthday in heart of Big Apple
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, served as guest speaker for the U.S. Army’s 249th birthday celebration June 14 in Times Square in New York City. Joining Belanger as guest speakers were James Hendon, commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services, and Lt. Col. John “Rocky” Rhodes, commander of the NYC Recruiting Battalion. The event was highlighted by Belanger administering the Oath of Enlistment to new Army recruits and presenting a U.S. Army Minuteman scholarship along with Ronald “Ron” Shindel, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for New York. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve memorializes facility for fallen Iraq War veteran
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division and Military Intelligence Readiness Command hosted a ceremony on Fort Belvoir April 23 to memorialize the Army Reserve Center here on Kingman Road in the name of Staff Sgt. Richard S. Eaton Jr., who served as a counterintelligence agent within the MIRC. He died of heat-related injuries Aug. 12, 2003, following a protracted firefight in Al-Hit, Iraq. Serving as the event's official party were: Maj. Gen. Deborah Kotulich, Deputy Chief of Army Reserve; Brig. Gen. Melissa Adamski, MIRC commanding general; Brig. Gen. Daniel Hershkowitz, 99th RD deputy commanding general; and Sharon Noble Eaton, Staff Sgt. Eaton’s mother. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Salvatore Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve Ambassador helps celebrate 122nd birthday of U.S. Army War College
Retired Army Col. and Maryland Army Reserve Ambassador Edna W. Cummings stands with friends and colleagues, to include Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division (second from right), during the 122nd birthday celebration of the Army War College held at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, Nov. 15, 2023.
Army Reserve division teaches children during Earth Day celebration
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division celebrated Earth Day at division headquarters on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, April 25 during Bring Your Child to Work Day. The central activity of the day took place when the children of 99th RD Soldiers and civilian employees planted two pollinator gardens. Staff and parents supervised the kids as they planted a variety of flowers in two garden beds built in front of the facility by the 99th RD Directorate of Public Works. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Salvatore Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve division hosts annual Holocaust Remembrance
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division hosted its annual Holocaust Remembrance and Liberation Observation May 7 at division headquarters on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The Department of Defense theme of this year’s observance of the Days of Remembrance is, “Behind Every Name a Story: The Courageous.” (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Salvatore Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve remembers past president’s birthday
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Major Robert Harris, Training Management Sergeant Major of the 99th Readiness Division and 1st Sgt. Martha Cotto, First Sergeant of the 99th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment carry the wreath to President Grover Cleveland’s grave, along with US Army Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, Commanding General, 99th Readiness Division and Princeton Mayor Mark Freda Princeton Cemetery, Princeton, New Jersey, March 18, 2024. The two non-commissioned officers volunteered for the special event held annually on former President Cleveland’s birthday. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Emilie Lenglain)
Army Reserve Ambassador highlights female Army trailblazers
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division hosted a Women’s History Month “Lunch & Learn” event March 19 highlighting the U.S. Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The “Six Tripple Eight” was the first-and-only all-Black, all-female Army unit to deploy overseas during World War II. It consisted of 855 women under the command of Lt. Col. Charity Adams, the first African-American woman commissioned in the Women’s Army Corps. (Photo Source: National Archive and Records Administration)
Army Reserve leader pays homage to veterans during Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
Brig. Gen. Daniel Hershkowitz, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, during the Intrepid Museum’s Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony Dec. 7 in New York City.
Army Reserve helps honor veterans in The Bronx
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, takes part in the 39th Annual Bronx Veterans Day Parade Nov. 12, which focused on honoring America’s Vietnam veterans. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve leader honors veterans
Brig. Gen. Daniel Hershkowitz, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division honors Veterans during the Veterans Recognition breakfast hosted by Manheim Auto Auction.
Army Reserve helps honor veterans in Boston
Col. John Wildermann (left), congressional legislative liaison for the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, greets 90-year-old Korean War Veterans Walter Larkin during Boston Veterans Day Parade Nov. 4. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. military’s All-Volunteer Force, which represented a paradigm shift for the military – instead of drafting young Americans to fill the ranks of the armed forces, the military began depending exclusively on volunteers, as it still does today. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve helps city of Philadelphia honor veterans
Brig. Gen. Daniel Hershkowitz, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve's 99th Readiness Division and 1st Lt. Michael Deprenger, deputy commanding generals aide de camp, 99th Readiness during the 9th Annual Philadelphia Parade Sunday Wed. Nov 5, 2023.
Army Reserve helps honor veterans in Baltimore
Brig. Gen. Dan Hershkowitz, deputy commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, took part in the Baltimore City Veterans Day Parade Nov. 10. Marching in the parade were Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, The Adjutant General for the Maryland National Guard who served as the parade’s grand marshal, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve leader remembers fallen at ‘modern Army’s birthplace’
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, served as keynote speaker for the annual Wreaths Across America event held Dec. 16 at Valley Forge’s Washington Memorial Chapel. The event was hosted by the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s army at Valley Forge. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
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U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Kris Belanger, 99th Readiness Division commanding general, tours Fort Dix in a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Nov. 20, 2023. JB MDL conducted a tour on Fort Dix to demonstrate the base’s readiness to rapidly train and respond to new threats globally. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aidan Thompson)
Army Reserve highlights Soldier skills at manufacturers’ summit
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, served as keynote speaker and panelist during The Manufacturing Institute’s annual Workforce Summit Oct. 17 at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta, Georgia. Belanger shared details about efforts the Army Reserve is making to connect Soldiers with careers in varied fields, to include manufacturing, through its Private Public Partnership Office, which collaborates with organizations that can assist Soldiers with civilian employment opportunities. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
New Jersey native takes command of 2-star Army Reserve division
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger (pictured) assumed command of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division from Maj. Gen. Rodney L. Faulk during a change-of-command ceremony Aug. 11 at division headquarters on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Belanger, a New Jersey native of Wantage Township in Sussex County, is now responsible for providing logistic and administrative support for nearly 45,000 Army Reserve Soldiers living and serving throughout the Northeastern United States. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve expands Incident Command System courses
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division is forging ahead with its new National Incident Management System’s Incident Command System courses. The 99th RD’s mission was to work as the lead agency in developing the Incident Command Training Program for the Army Reserve. After some pilot courses and forming a training system, the first official USAR courses will take place in January 2023. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Staff ride program shares lessons learned with Army Reserve Soldiers, civilians
Mr. Stephen Harlan, 99th Readiness Division command historian, continued the division’s Staff Ride Program this past fall as its Soldiers and civilian employees learned lessons from the history of lower Manhattan. The intent of the Staff Ride Program is to give participants a greater appreciation for, and provide historical context to, their potential role in responding to natural and manmade disasters. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Army Reserve Soldiers provide repatriation funeral honors to long-missing World War II hero
Army Reserve Soldiers stationed in New York lent a hand to honor a long-missing casualty of World War II Nov. 19 at St. John Catholic Cemetery in Queens, New York. First Lt. John Joseph Heffernan Jr. served in the 490th Bombardment Squadron with the U.S. Army Air Corps. On Feb. 22, 1944, at age 24, he and six crewmates were lost when their B25G bomber caught fire and crashed into a field in Burma. From January to March 2019, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency conducted a recovery mission at the crash site of Heffernan’s bomber in Burma, now known as Myanmar. On Nov. 2, 2021, the DPAA positively identified Heffernan’s remains through DNA technology, from among those recovered. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th Readiness Division Public Affairs)
Army Reserve division remains vigilant for disaster response
Capt. Jared Shoemaker, Defense Support of Civil Authorities planner for the Army Reserve's 99th Readiness Division (left), briefs Mr. Jose Flores and Sgt. 1st Class Juan Figueroa of the 99th RD G3 during the division's staff exercise May 13 at division headquarters on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The exercise was designed to establish and validate 99th RD actions in preparation for, and response to, a natural or man-made disaster. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Families celebrate passage of ‘Six Triple Eight’ Congressional Gold Medal Act
Military and civilian leaders joined family members inside the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery June 15 to celebrate President Joe Biden’s signing of the “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021. The act awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the Women’s Army Corps who were assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, better known as the “Six Triple Eight,” during World War II. The “Six Triple Eight” is now the only women’s military unit to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal. (U.S. Army photo by Sal Ottaviano, 99th Readiness Division Public Affairs)
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Army Reserve leaders celebrate veterans in annual Bronx Parade
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, took part in the 40th Annual Bronx Veterans Day Parade Nov. 10. Among those joining her for the one-mile march were her senior enlisted advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Corey A. Thompson, as well as a color guard provided by the 99th RD’s 361st Theater Public Affairs Support Element. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public
Nov. 27, 2024 - The U.S. Army Reserve took part in the 40th annual Bronx Veterans Day Parade Nov. 10, the theme of which was honoring veterans of the Global War on Terrorism...
New Army Reserve Ambassador Appointed to 13-State Region
Douglas M. Reed, New Jersey Ambassador
Nov. 13, 2024 - New Army Reserve Ambassador Appointed to 13-State Region...
Army Reserve historian documents 100-year-old WWII veteran
Stephan Harlan, command historian of the U.S. Army Reserve's 99th Readiness Division conducting an oral history interview with Pvt. 1st Class Angelo Sciacca, a World War II veteran.
Nov. 12, 2024 - “The most enjoyable part of conducting oral history interviews is the ‘ah-ha’ moment, discovering a generational connection between myself and the subject,” shared Stephen Harlan, command historian of the U.S. Army Reserve’s...
Army Reserve leaders march for Kings County veterans
Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, and Command Sgt. Maj. Corey A. Thompson, 99th RD command sergeant major, take part in the 2nd Annual Brooklyn Veterans Parade and Resource Fair Oct. 26. The parade and fair were organized and hosted by the Veterans Action Group Buffalo Soldiers of America. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Nov. 7, 2024 - Army Reserve leaders took part in the 2nd Annual Brooklyn Veterans Parade and Resource Fair here Oct. 26, marching along Eastern Parkway to Grand Army Plaza...
Virginia Army Reserve ambassador continues decades of service
Virginia Army Reserve ambassador continues decades of service
Nov. 1, 2024 - U.S. Army Reserve Ambassador Sonja Brewer has represented the Army Reserve in Virginia for the past two years, continuing several decades of service to the nation that began in the early 1980s...
Army Reserve, NJ TRANSIT partner for Soldier success
Representatives from the U.S. Army Reserve and NJ TRANSIT signed a memorandum of understanding Sept. 17 at NJ TRANSIT headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, as part of the Army Reserve’s Private Public Partnership Program. Brig. Gen. James F. Porter, deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, was joined at the signing event by Ms. Binu Thomas, NJ TRANSIT senior vice president and chief administrative officer, New Jersey Army Reserve Ambassador Arthur Maggs, and Alecia Grady, Private Public Partnership Office director. This partnership will provide potential jobs for Army Reserve Soldiers, family members and veterans, which in turn will enhance Army Reserve readiness. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Shawn Morris, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Oct. 24, 2024 - Representatives from the U.S. Army Reserve and NJ TRANSIT signed a memorandum of understanding at corporate headquarters here Sept. 17 as part of the Army Reserve’s Private Public Partnership Program...
Fallen Army Reserve Soldier memorialized during Hispanic Heritage Month
The U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division named its U.S. Army Reserve Center in Orangeburg, New York, for Sgt. Jaror C. Puello during a Sept. 21 memorialization ceremony. The ceremony was held less than a week into the Department of Defense’s observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring Dominican Republic-native Puello, who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country during the Global War on Terrorism. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Oct. 11, 2024 - Less than a week into the Department of Defense’s observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division recognized Sgt. Jaror C. Puello during a Sept. 21 memorialization ceremony...
Army Reserve Soldier inducted into N.J. sports Hall of Fame
Sgt. 1st Class Nichole Hill, security manager for the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, was inducted into the South Jersey Track and Field Hall of Fame this past spring for her many achievements at Oakcrest High School in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Hill, a Newark native, is a schoolteacher in her full-time civilian job. (U.S. Army photo by Mr. Sal Ottaviano, 99th RD Public Affairs)
Oct. 2, 2024 - Her co-workers in the Army Reserve know her as the Soldier doing her best amidst a myriad of military systems, regulations and processes that all move very slowly at times. But most are not aware of the life Sgt. 1st Class...
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Maj. Gen. Kris A. Belanger
Commanding General, 99th Readiness Division
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Command Sgt. Maj. Corey A. Thompson
Command Sergeant Major, 99th Readiness Division
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