Photo By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry | Indiana National Guard Brig. Gen. Joe Gardner passes the 38th Infantry Division to...... read more read more
INDIANAPOLIS – Soldiers with the 38th Infantry Division welcomed their new commanding general and said farewell to their outgoing commander during a ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial on Saturday.
Brig. Gen. Joe Gardner took the division reins from Maj. Gen. Dan Degelow during the ceremony reviewed by Indiana National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Larry Muennich.
“Congratulations on assuming command of this storied division. The trust placed in you is well-earned,” said Muennich in his speech. “Your reputation for making tough decisions with integrity makes you exactly the right leader for this moment. You inherit a formation that is highly trained, deeply experienced, and prepared for any challenge. I have full confidence you will take this division to even greater heights.”
Prior to Gardner’s new role as the 38th’s commanding general, he served as the deputy commanding general in charge of maneuver, a role he held during the unit’s deployment to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield from November 2024 to July 2025.
“It is an extraordinary honor and profound privilege to stand here today. I am deeply grateful for the trust emplaced in me and am humbled to join a lineage of leaders and soldiers who have carried the division’s colors with courage, commitment and character,” said Gardner during his speech.
Gardner, who also served as the deputy commanding general for sustainment, thanked previous division leaders who attended the ceremony as well as his immediate predecessor.
“My deepest thanks is to Maj. Gen. Degelow. Sir, your leadership, especially during our recent train-up and recent mobilization as Task Force Spartan has set the standard I intend to meet and sustain. Thank you for showing me what right looks like,” said Gardner.
Degelow also spoke at the ceremony attended by National Guard retirees, alumni and family and friends of division soldiers.
“What makes the Army special is our soldiers, and those people that support our soldiers. Each day you serve our Army you build upon that rich history. On many occasions I have stated, ‘the Army is a people business’,” said Degelow in his speech. “The missions you complete, the convoys you drive in, the flights you complete, the gunnery you conduct, the exercises you train in, and the deployments that you take part in build upon that incredible history of service and sacrifice.”
The Cyclone Division, as the 38th is also known, traces its history from recent deployments to the war on terrorism, Vietnam War, World War II, when its soldiers earned the moniker “Avengers of Bataan,” to its inception on Aug. 25, 1917, at Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
The 38th Infantry Division is one of eight Army National Guard divisions and one of the Army's primary tactical-level warfighting headquarters, employing brigade combat teams, functional and multifunctional brigades, and other forces in full-spectrum operations to achieve military objectives. The division's soldiers provide command and control over Army forces engaged in decisive and shaping operations.
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 12.08.2025 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 553403 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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