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David Thul (born April 23, 1972 in St. Paul, Minnesota) is a political activist. He was the Republican Party candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives, [1] District 26A (Owatonna and Waseca).
Thul joined the Minnesota Army National Guard on June 2, 1992. He was assigned to Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion 135th Infantry stationed in Owatonna and Faribault. He served weekend drills and annual training until 2001, when he was called out for state active duty for flooding in Montevideo, the state worker strike, and training for Operation Ice Eagle, the mission to support airport security after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
In fall 2003, he was mobilized for deployment to Kosovo for the UN peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslavia. He served as a RTO (Radio Telephone Operator) and later as TOC NCO (Tactical Operations Center Sergeant) in the company headquarters. He was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for his service. The unit returned in fall 2004.
In April 2005, he was promoted to Sergeant, E-5, and in fall 2005, Thul was mobilized for deployment to Iraq along with the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division (Red Bulls) where he served as an infantry team leader. He was stationed at Al Asad Air Base in the Al Anbar province, and was assigned to combat convoy duty. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge [2] for direct contact with the enemy on July 31, 2006 during an IED attack. In March 2007, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant, E-6, and selected to serve as an infantry squad leader. Also in March 2007, he was awarded an Army Commendation for leadership in combat. [3]
During a unit reorganization in 2009, Thul was transferred to Bravo Company, 2/135, where he is assigned as an infantry squad leader.
In January, 2007, Thul began working with a Navy Lieutenant serving in Baghdad on the Appeal for Courage, a petition of service members to Congress to complete the US mission in Iraq. They collected over 3000 signatures of active duty military members, most of who had served in Iraq. The petition was presented to Congress on May 9, 2007 by Bob Wallace, then executive director of the national VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and accepted by Congressman John Boehner and Senator Lindsey Graham. [4]
Thul was the center of a book drive for soldiers in Iraq that began on the Powerline blog in May 2006. Hundreds of blogs, newspapers, and radio stations around the country spread the word of a need for books for soldiers. Over the course of the next 6 months, over 800 packages were sent, and so many books arrived that Thul began distributing books and magazines to other bases during convoy missions. The story of the book drive is chronicled in a series of postings on the Powerline blog. Thul was also interviewed on AM 1280 the Patriot by the Northern Alliance Radio Network about the book drive and the Appeal for Courage. In March 2007, he wrote an editorial for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that appeared on the front page of the Sunday commentary section. He was also profiled in a 2009 article in MinnPost by Michael Bonafield.
Thul became active in politics in January, 2009 when he joined the Republican Party of Minnesota. In May 2009, he was elected co-chair of the Steele County Republican Party after organizing the first annual Owatonna Tax Day Tea Party. [5] In the fall of 2009, he ran unsuccessfully for an At Large City Council seat in a six way race. In May 2010, Thul announced he was running for the party endorsement for Minnesota House District 26A after the previously endorsed candidate withdrew for personal reasons. He ran against Nathan Dotson, a city councilman and small business owner from Owatonna and won the Republican Party endorsement on May 24, and filed for office with the Minnesota Secretary of State the next day. [6]
Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above staff sergeant and below master sergeant and first sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer (SNCO). It has a pay grade of E-7.
The 34th Infantry Division is an infantry division of the United States Army, part of the National Guard, that participated in World War I, World War II and multiple current conflicts. It was the first American division deployed to Europe in World War II, where it fought with great distinction in the Italian Campaign.
The 3rd United States Infantry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. It currently has three active battalions, and is readily identified by its nickname, The Old Guard, as well as Escort to the President. The regimental motto is Noli Me Tangere. The regiment is a major unit of the Military District of Washington (MDW).
The Minnesota National Guard is the National Guard of the state of Minnesota, United States. It has more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen, serving in 61 communities across the state.
The Oklahoma National Guard, a division of the Oklahoma Military Department, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It comprises both Army (OKARNG) and Air (OKANG) National Guard components. The Governor of Oklahoma is Commander-in-Chief of the Oklahoma National Guard when not on federal active duty. The state's highest-ranking military commander, the Adjutant General of Oklahoma (TAG), serves as the military head of the Guard and is second only to the Governor. The TAG is served by three Assistant Adjutants General, all brigadier generals, two from the Army Guard in the state, and the other the Air Guard chief. These positions are held by Army BG Steve D. Elliott, Army BG Louis W. Wilham, and Air Force BG Thomas W. Ryan. The two components each have a senior noncommissioned officer, State Command Sergeant Major for Army, currently CSM Tony F. Riggs, and State Command Chief Master Sergeant for Air, currently CCMSgt Ronald D. Teague. The TAG is also served by his Director of the Joint Staff or Chief of Staff, who has direct oversight of the state's full-time National Guard military personnel and civilian employees. This position is held by Army BG Jon M. Harrison.
The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team ("Thunderbird") is a modular infantry brigade combat team of the United States Army headquartered in Norman, Oklahoma. It is a part of the Oklahoma Army National Guard.
The 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a modular infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the Louisiana Army National Guard. It is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana. Currently the brigade is part of the 36th Infantry Division of the Texas Army National Guard.
Camp Taji, also known as Camp Cooke, is a military installation used by Iraqi and coalition forces near Taji, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq. The camp is located in a rural region approximately 27 km (17 mi) north of the capital Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate.
The Minnesota Army National Guard, along with the Minnesota Air National Guard, is an element of the Minnesota National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. Those functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress.
The Arkansas Army National Guard (ARARNG) is a component of the Arkansas National Guard and the United States National Guard. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.
The Iowa Army National Guard is a state agency of the State of Iowa, with significant funding from the Federal Government of the United States; and a reserve component of the United States Army. It has dual Federal and State missions. It is empowered to function under control of the Governor, as a State asset in times of emergency or natural disaster, or if needed to carry out limited actions during non-emergency situations to include full scale Enforcement of martial law, when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The National Guard may also be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress.
The Louisiana Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. When not Federalized the National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. Those functions range from limited actions during non-emergency situations to full scale law enforcement of Martial law when local law enforcement officials can no longer maintain civil control. The National Guard may be called into federal service in response to a call by the President or Congress.
The 16th Infantry Regiment is a regiment in the United States Army and has traditionally been a part of the 1st Infantry Division.
The 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is an infantry brigade combat team currently assigned to the Virginia Army National Guard, formerly known as the 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division; it is the largest command of the Virginia Army National Guard with an authorized strength of 3,400. The brigade is headquartered in Staunton, Virginia, at the Thomas Howie Memorial Armory, and is nicknamed the Stonewall Brigade in honor of its association with the 116th Infantry Regiment, tracing its lineage back to elements of an American Civil War Confederate brigade of the same name led by General Stonewall Jackson.
The 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a modular infantry brigade of the United States Army National Guard of Indiana. It is headquartered in Lawrence Readiness Training Center, on the grounds of Fort Benjamin Harrison.
The history of the Arkansas Army National Guard and Korean War begins with the reorganization of the Arkansas Army National Guard following World War II. During this period, the Arkansas Air National Guard became a separate component of the Arkansas National Guard. The Arkansas Army National Guard provided Field Artillery and Medical units in support of combat operations in Korea.
The 185th Armor Regiment was an armor regiment of the United States Army consisting of soldiers from the California Army National Guard.
The 181st Infantry Regiment shares the distinction of being the oldest combat regiment currently organized in the United States Army. It is one of several National Guard units with colonial roots and campaign credit for the War of 1812. The regiment traces its history to 13 December 1636, when it was one of four colonial regiments of foot of the British Crown in Massachusetts. It later served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, with Union forces in the American Civil War, and as a federalized Massachusetts National Guard regiment with the U.S. Army during War with Spain, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I and World War II. In 2006 the Battalion deployed as a member of KFOR8 to Kosovo in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Most recently the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry has served in Iraq, in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, and in Afghanistan. The only active element of the regiment is the 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment, which returned from a year of service in Afghanistan in July 2011. The 1st Battalion was mobilized in March 2017 for one year of service with the Multinational Force & Observers in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Currently, the 1st Battalion is a part of the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a major formation of the New Jersey National Guard. It was reflagged from the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2017.
The 34th Infantry Division Band is an Army National Guard band stationed in Rosemount, Minnesota. The unit is currently assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard. The mission of the 34th Infantry Division Band is to provide music throughout the spectrum of military operations to instill in soldiers the will to fight and win, foster the support of citizens and promote the national interests of the United States at home and abroad.
Jon A. Jensen is a United States Army lieutenant general who currently serves as the 22nd director of the Army National Guard. He previously served as the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard from November 2017 to August 2020. Prior to that, he was assigned as commanding general of the 34th Infantry Division from January 2017 to October 2017 and as deputy commanding general for United States Army Africa U.S. Army Africa from 2015 to 2017. He assumed his current assignment on August 10, 2020 with an effective date of rank of August 3, 2020.
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