FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Bannister, 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum commander, took a moment out of his busy schedule Tuesday to sit down with local and regional media representatives and reflect on the last two years and to discuss current mission posture, deployments, challenges and changes here.
Before his current assignment as the 10th Mountain Division's commanding general, he last served here as the division's deputy commanding general for operations nearly six years ago. One of his remarks was to acknowledge the amount of change and development he has seen over his years here in northern New York.
"This is a community that cares for the military and the people here on the base. A lot has changed here in terms of development and opportunity on and off the installation, and great progress continues to be made," Bannister said. "Fort Drum in my opinion remains one of the Army's best-kept secrets."
When Bannister arrived in March 2015, the division was already preparing for its upcoming deployments to places like Af-ghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
Again he found himself in the most-deployed division headquarters since Sept. 11, 2001.
As he discussed the many deployments and missions of the division and brigades over the last two years since taking command, Bannister paused to highlight the changes in formations and mission essential tasks of both the combat infantry brigades and the combat aviation brigade.
"When I got here, the commanders had a huge list of essential tasks to focus on that covered both conventional and insurgent requirements," he said. "Now we have refocused and moved to a near peer type of training model that allows commanders to focus on five or six critical tasks effectively. The Army is getting this right."
Bannister took the opportunity to discuss how the division, for the first time in a long time, will have almost a full nest back here at Fort Drum over the next year.
He said he believed this would allow the Soldiers, leaders and commanders to focus on training and those mission critical tasks.
Although he did not mention any specific upcoming division deployment order, he said that this will provide an opportunity for the units to prepare for the next round of deployments or possible combat missions.
"There are only so many divisions and brigades, and this is an uncertain world, as we have seen by recent events. Currently we are working our training towards a division warfighter in the fall that is not linked to a current deployment order."
Additionally, Bannister discussed some of the ongoing coordination, planning, studies and considerations concerning land use, drones and windmills that directly impact both the installation and the local community.
"We all have to live here together, so we want to see green windmills and things, but you know we have to look at the blind spots," Bannister said. "We can't sit around and do hand waves and talk about it. You gotta get into the technical side. Forming up these little technical committees to show the specifics is the only way you're going to have cooperation, accommodation; we have to accommodate each other."
He closed out the discussion by again recognizing that any success that has been attributed to him or any of the commanders here was due to the Soldiers and Families of Fort Drum and the remarkable unmatched support that the post gets from the local and regional community.
"I know that Fort Drum is very special," he said. "I have said before, we are the most integrated, unique post there is, and I could not have asked to serve in a more supportive and cooperative environment in terms of community support."
Bannister will relinquish command of 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Fort Drum during a ceremony April 27 on post.
When asked about his upcoming assignment, he said that it was still being worked out and no decision had been made that he was aware of but he looked forward to serving in whatever capacity the Army decides.
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