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Of the Troops, For the Troops
Jackie Huber keeps the above motto with her at all times. That’s Brigadier General Jackie Huber, who since Oct. 1, 2019, has served as the second-in-command of the North Dakota National Guard. People have made a bit of a fuss about the fact that she is the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Adjutant General, but to Huber, it’s not what she focuses on. “I was selected for this position as best qualified,” she said. “I had to meet all the same job requirements as anyone else: command assignments, experience, along with civilian and military education.” “The way I look at it is, I’m a soldier and just doing the best I can with what God has given me.” Huber, who earned her master’s degree in management from the University of Mary in 1999, was born and raised in Bismarck and graduated from St. Mary’s Central High School in 1988. She enlisted in the National Guard in January 1989 during her undergraduate study at the University of North Dakota while simultaneously enrolled in the ROTC program. At a social event, a conversation between her parents and Bismarck attorney and now retired Army National Guard major general Murray Sagsveen prompted them to encourage her — and her younger brother — to join the Guard. After Huber completed basic training and Advanced Individual Training (AIT), she knew she wanted to be an officer, she said. “That’s how my path started,” she said. “The National Guard defined who I am. Being in the military is not easy but is very, very rewarding. It gives you the foundation of military values to live by, on- and off-duty.”
“That’s a priceless gift.”
That gift includes the values she’s learned — “the values in society that are so important, including mutual respect, to be part of something bigger than yourself, and so much emphasis on servant-leadership,” she said. “On the basis of what you do [as a soldier], you have to be willing to be called to duty at any time.” In the Guard, she has witnessed amazing loyalty and commitment to the nation and to the state of North Dakota. “People are willing to serve, and when called, to make the ultimate sacrifice,” Huber said. “I have friends and colleagues who have worn this uniform and lost their lives in this uniform.” Her colleagues have praised her for her embodiment of servant-leadership. For Huber, “When I think of servant-leadership, I think it’s somebody who truly cares about the people who are working with them or who they are representing. No matter what branch of service, you’re always given a mission. “Keep that ‘people piece’ up front in everything you do. Don’t lose sight of that. That ‘people piece’ is what’s going to bring mission success.” Anyone who aspires to be respected as a leader needs humility, Huber said, and the courage to do the ‘hard, right thing.’ In addition, “having honesty and integrity in what we do, both in words and actions. Living by your word.” Huber served as a Military Police officer, whose creed contains the words ‘of the troops, for the troops.’ “Any decision will have consequences. Always think them through.” Huber’s experiences in the Guard have included deployments to Desert Shield/Desert Storm with the 191st Military Police based in Mandan while she was a college student at UND and to Iraq in 2003-2004, with the 142nd Engineer Battalion from Fargo. “The first time I was deployed, I was a college student. I was very young, in the middle of officer training. As a young sergeant, it was really life-changing — to be that young, and to see people at their greatest moments and their not-so-great moments.” In difficult situations such as these, your perceptions can change of how strong you might have thought some people were, she said. “The exposure to people’s raw experiences — it was a challenging time. You don’t know when you’re going home; you’re in a hostile environment. You see people’s coping skills.” “I was 20, just turning 21. Deployments are tough and challenging, but you can take them and learn something from that and define your character by your experiences.” As a captain during her deployment to Iraq, “We were in austere environments. That was character-building,” she said. It honed her appreciation for things such as restaurants and running water, simple pleasures we all take for granted. Huber got the call to report to Fargo for deployment to Iraq on Martin Luther King Day, and by Saturday of that week she was already at Fort Carson, Colorado. “It was hard, with two young sons, ages 6 and 1 ½. It’s different, being a mother, leaving behind little ones dependent on you, and a husband. “But you live up to your obligations that you commit to. I was very fortunate, to have a very supportive husband and family, parents, and in-laws. And kids that are resilient.” Faith is an important dimension of the military experience. Chaplains serve the soldiers, and part of resilience is to have that solid foundation, physical mental, emotional, and spiritual, she said. Faith plays a part in being able to do those hard things when they are asked for. Distilled down, “service to one’s country and state is a wonderful career,” Huber said. “It made me the person I am. It’s an opportunity to really see things through a different lens, to have gratitude for things people take for granted.” Huber closed with saying that “military members have a very special camaraderie — it’s an extended family. This profession provides so many life skills to be the foundation for a great life and a great perspective.”
