ABOUT US 

More Than A Century of Serving

From the 88th Division in 1917 to the 88th Readiness Division

 


              

MISSION:
The Readiness Division integrates capabilities with Reserve Commands to provide geographic programs and services that enhance individual and unit readiness, mobilization and deployment of Army Reserve forces.

VISION:
Enabling readiness today and always!

LINEAGE:
"We are BLUE DEVILS!"  1917 ~ Now

The 88th Readiness Division, headquartered at Fort Snelling, Minn., and Fort McCoy, Wis., is a two-star command which provides facilities, direct support services, and BASOPS to more than 53,000 Army Reserve Soldiers, 3,945 Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) Soldiers and 3,733 Civilians serving in 641 units at 277 sites with 579 facilities totaling 10,341,955 square feet of facility space on 18,113 acres of land throughout 19 states in the northwestern U.S. from the Ohio River Valley to the Pacific Coast.  In addition, the 88th RD Commanding General is the senior commander of Fort McCoy, Wisconsin.

The 88th RD manages 14 Local Training Area’s (LTA) across eleven states covering 7,795 acres. LTAs provide Soldiers opportunities to perform in their jobs, train close to home, and make the most out of Battle Assemblies (BAs) by offering units the use of facilities, grounds, and training venues to include convoy operations, organizational maintenance, engineer equipment dig sites, as well as Field Training Exercises.

The 88th RD continues to innovate and improve readiness by providing services to the Major Subordinate Commands (MSC).  As a prime example of distinctive service and support, the 88th RD provides the Fort McCoy Draw Yard. The Draw Yard is a set of common military equipment (mostly vehicles and generators), available at Fort McCoy for Exercise and Transient Training unit use. The goal is to reduce transportation costs and Reception, Staging, Onward movement, and Integration (RSOI) time for Exercise and Transient Training units during their rotation.

The 88th RD’s C2 is comprised of 60 AGR Soldiers, 1,083 Military Technicians (MILTECs), 278 Department of the Army Civilians (DACs) and 683 Troop Program Unit (TPU) Soldiers as well as Contractors assigned throughout the northwest region.

The 88th RD provides Mission Command to assigned units in the region as follows:

  • Mission Command Support Group (MCSG), Ft. Snelling, Minnesota.
  • 1st Headquarters Company Main Command Post – Operational Detachment (MCP-OD), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
  • 7th Infantry Division (Army Reserve Element), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
  • 11 Public Affairs units stationed throughout the region.
  • 6 Military History units stationed throughout the region.
  • 9 Chaplain Detachments stationed throughout the region.
  • 4 Bands in the region.

The 88th RD also provides the Commanding Officer for the Mobilization Force Generation Installation (MFGI) and assumes mission command in support of Large-Scale Mobilization Operations (LSMO). Upon activation of designated MFGI’s, an Army Reserve Brigadier General, referred to as Deputy Commanding General - Mobilization (DCG MOB) is attached to First Army (1A) to serve as the central coordinating authority between the Senior Mission Commander, the 1A Training Brigade, Garrison, Logistics Readiness Center (LRC), DENTAC and MEDDAC.

The history and lineage of the 88th Division began a century ago in August of 1917.

The 88th Division was created following the passage of the Selective Service Act of 1917 and the registration of approximately 10 million men. National Army draftees from North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois, became the 88th Division at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW:
Strategic Lines of Effort (S-LOE)

1. Human Resources Services and Support: Develop and sustain human capital capable of providing superior services supporting Soldier, Civilian and Family readiness through unity of effort, innovative solutions and integrated systems to create a resilient and ready force.

2. Infrastructure - Foundational Resources: Provide versatile non-deployable infrastructure which is resilient, sustainable, and capable of supporting readiness for mobilization and deployment.

3. Operations - Effective and Efficient Operations: Exercise mission command and senior geographic command to integrate capabilities with Reserve Commands to enhance readiness, mobilization and deployment of Army Reserve forces.

4. Logistics: Provide standardized logistics support to enable Army Reserve stakeholders to attain the highest state of readiness through collaboration resulting in operationally ready tactical equipment, comprehensive property accountability and efficient support to training and mobilization requirements. 

Operations Kick Start LOEs

1. Reorganization, Mission Command, and COVID-19: This is our main effort through reorganization of the headquarters into a fully operational division and our COVID-19 operational environment stabilizes into an enduring OPTEMPO. This LOE will endure as Mission Command. Outcome: Fully operational and integrated command and “seeing ourselves."

2. Base Operations Support (BASOPs): This LOE encompasses S-LOEs 1. Human Resources, 2. Infrastructure, and 4. Logistics. Outcome: Programs and Functions are aligned for effect and achieve efficiencies through continuous performance improvement. 

3. Individual and Unit Readiness: This is the delivery of Soldier, Civilian, and Family Member programs and services that build resilience, develop People, and improve readiness. Outcome: Personal Accountability, Professional Development and workforce management programs effectively implemented to achieve and sustain individual readiness standards and unit preparedness requirements. 

4. Innovation: Transformation offers the ability to experiment with how to deliver new services or deliver old services in new ways. Outcome: Creative solutions to transform current processes, procedures, and practices to build toward future capability.