Utah National Guard leaders attend historical Utah War presentation at Camp Floyd

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Annie Edwards
  • 151 ARW/PA
SALT LAKE CITY --  More than sixty members of Utah Army and Air National Guard staff and senior leadership, including Maj. Gen. Jefferson Burton, the Adjutant General of the Utah National Guard, attended a historical presentation about the Utah War at Camp Floyd State Park on Aug. 22.

The trip to Camp Floyd was the 2015 Adjutant General's staff ride, an annual event designed to improve leadership skills and teambuilding experience through examination of a historical battle or military campaign.

Burton said an important aspect of the staff ride is examining these historical events in order to apply the lessons learned from past to present situations faced as leaders. He also discussed with staff examples during the Utah War where decisions were made out of fear and the resulting problems.

"As military leaders we have got to be very balanced in our approach because decisions made in fear or emotions are always bad ones," said Burton.

Historians and scholars presented differing viewpoints from both sides involved in the Utah War during 1857-1858. In addition, several members of the National Guard staff gave presentations about various aspects of the campaign and related events.

Ephriam Dickson III, Deputy Chief of the Field Museum Branch at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, addressed the logistical aspects of the Utah War. He said there were basic principles of war and logistics applicable to the past and present and discussed the aspects that they have in common.

"There is valuable information here to learn how people did things or how they shouldn't have done things, and lessons from those that we can apply today," said Dickson.

Historians Richard Turley and William MacKinnon also gave presentations on opposing sides of the Utah War during the staff ride.

Historic period actors in the military uniforms worn during this time demonstrated weapons and equipment the U.S. Soldiers and members of the Nauvoo Legion would have used during the war.

Col. Julie Anderson, commander of the 151st Mission Support Group said that examining history during this staff ride can be helpful in working toward positive solutions to problems.

"It teaches the importance of the communications process and trying to find out as many of those facts in order to solve problems," said Anderson. "It really helps us work toward solutions for a positive end result."