Archives August 2025

At 43 years old, with a wife and three kids, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Patrick Kooiker returned to the Minnesota National Guard in 2021 after nearly a decade away from the military.

“The first time I joined the military I did it because all my friends were doing it,” said Kooiker, a network operation warrant officer. “This time, I joined for the benefits, especially TRICARE for life and the Post 9/11 GI Bill, but mostly TRICARE for my kids.”

Kooiker, a Bayport, Minn. resident, first served from 1995 to 2010. He spent two years with the Army Reserves and 13 years with the Minnesota Air National Guard’s Saint Paul-based 133rd Airlift Wing. He also served a one-year active-duty rotation with the National Guard Bureau.

“I was a key player in the restructuring of the mission for the Fargo, North Dakota, unit to transition from an F-16 unit to a drone unit,” said Kooiker. “I also played a role in moving the B2 aircraft to Andersen Air Force Base.”

After reaching the rank of master sergeant, Kooiker transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve. There, he conducted contracting operations in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan before leaving the military in 2015.

A pivotal moment came when mentors, Army Col. Carl Fassbender and the Minnesota National Guard’s Command Chief Warrant Officer, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Erik Homme, recognized the value of Kooiker’s expertise and encouraged him to return to service. But one obstacle held him back from serving. He did not meet the current height and weight requirements.

“I was 90 pounds overweight,” Kooiker said. “I started walking, dieting, daily workouts, and I ran my life as though food was fuel.”

Nothing was going to keep him from achieving his goal to serve again. Once he lost the extra weight, he was one step closer to rejoining.

By 2021, Kooiker saw that dream come true as he enlisted for the second time. This time as a soldier in the Minnesota Army National Guard.

“Patrick was appointed as a warrant officer in 2022 and quickly demonstrated a maturity and depth of knowledge comparable to our senior signal warrant officers,” Homme said. “He had over 15 years of Army Reserve and Air National Guard service prior, and he honed his IT/cyber skills at 3M and Securian during his break in service. These experiences, coupled with his maturity and desire to mentor others, were a perfect fit for the Warrant Officer Corps and the Minnesota National Guard. His passion for the Corps and deep IT/cyber knowledge are keys to our success in this area.”

Not long after enlisting, Kooiker left for a second round of basic training. There, drill sergeants recognized his leadership and knowledge and allowed him to coach and mentor newer service members.
“The drill sergeants trusted me to get things done at the barracks,” Kooiker said. “They would bring us back from dinner chow and I would take charge of the formation and ensure they were in bed by eight and up by four.”

After graduating basic training, Kooiker attended the warrant officer basic course and became qualified as a network operations warrant officer, adding to the Guard’s growing cyber capabilities and network oversight. His role as a warrant officer merges with his civilian career where he works in information technology and electronics engineering.

“I get to do things most will never experience,” said Kooiker. “Running cybersecurity exercises and simulating enemy attacks allows us to refine our equipment, improve our tactics and prepare service members to defend our systems in real world scenarios.”

Kooiker is working to bridge the gap between civilian expertise and military application. His ability to leverage knowledge gained in both sectors allows him to find areas for improvement and share best practices.

“CW2 Kooiker is a role model and champion for any noncommissioned officer considering becoming a warrant officer,” said Homme. “He fully supports our Warrant Officer Candidate program through instruction, mentorship, and event participation. He readily helps others understand the networking that is used and goes out of his way to volunteer to teach classes and attend seminars that benefit other cyber teams at symposiums.”

His commitment to serve extends beyond the drill hall. Kooiker recently coordinated food and supplies for service members assigned to the Guard’s Cyber Protection Team who were responding to cyberattacks in St. Paul.

He also dedicates time to the National Guard Youth Camp, Memorial Day events, the Civil Air Patrol, and, with his wife, coaches their daughter’s special needs baseball team.

Driven by a desire to make a positive impact, Kooiker lives by the Army values. He links the past and the future of the Minnesota National Guard, representing the next generation of cyber warriors.

Though not new to military service, Kooiker is a rising leader, shaping others within the cyber community.

“Do as much as you can, as you never have enough time or money,” Kooiker said. “Start doing what you love now. No one takes better care of your career than you.”

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jesse Maleski from the 133rd Contingency Response Flight (CRF) attended the Army Pathfinder course, conducted at the Army Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, GA. The course provides students with technical expertise in planning and executing air movement, air assault, and air resupply operations for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft.

“The Army Pathfinder is a 15-day academically rigorous course where soldiers are trained in sling load operations, ground-to-air communications, helicopter landing zones and air assault planning, and fixed wing and rotary wing drop zone operations,” said Maleski.

The course is challenging, requiring students to learn and pass written and hands-on tests from the three functional areas: sling loads, air-traffic control or helicopter landing zones, and drop zones.

“The most challenging part of the course was the math – it’s very technical and rigorous, requiring memorization and use of numerous formulas, quantities, and calculations, all including multiple variables and aircraft-specific information,” said Maleski. “As you pass from one phase to the next, the math gets more complicated, and memorization becomes even more challenging.”

While this course is mostly attended by members of the U.S. Army, it is open to members of every branch of the military.

“It is not common for Air Force members to go through the course. I was the only one,” said Maleski. “As a non-Army student, acceptance into the course was not guaranteed after application submission. I obtained a “walk-on” slot, meaning I showed up on day one in the hopes that there would be room.”

Maleski completed the course as an honor graduate. Since being assigned to the 133rd Contingency Response Flight, Maleski has also attended the Army Air Assault course. By adding the crucial sling load qualification to his tool belt, he has expanded CRF’s mission set to include the use of rotary aircraft in facilitating cargo movement.

“The opportunity to train with other branches, specifically in relation to supply or resupply missions, has numerous benefits and makes us a more integrated organization,” said Maleski.

Courtesy Story
133rd Airlift Wing

A new one-of-a-kind program at the University of Minnesota Medical School is providing military medics with an opportunity designed to take their military experience and catapult it into a career as a physician. For medics such as New Prague native Army Spc. Lauren Kitner of the Minnesota National Guard, one of the first to use the program, it has been a way to jumpstart a career that may not have been otherwise accessible.

The Military Medic to Medical School Program (MM2MS) guides medics with the completion of the prerequisites necessary for acceptance to medical school, provides individualized support, and assists students with preparation for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) – the standardized medical admission test required for those applying to medical school.
Open to medics from all military branches, the program was born out of interest from the university, where they sought new pathways for attracting medical school students. One of the faculty members involved with developing this program knows firsthand how valuable military medical experience can be. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Dave “Doc” Hamlar is a retired member of the Minnesota National Guard who served 31 years with the Air Force medical community- first as a health service administrator, then as a physician and commander, state air surgeon, and as the assistant adjutant general air for the Minnesota National Guard.
“Medics bring a unique perspective to a program like this,” Hamlar said. “They’ve already decided to be part of something greater than themselves, and they’ve demonstrated they’re willing and able to stay the course when things get hard. Medics have vital experience from military service that will benefit them in the classroom.”
Accepted students are eligible for specialized incentives if they continue to serve as members of the Minnesota National Guard upon becoming doctors. The Guard’s state tuition reimbursement program has a special chapter dedicated to medical students, offering 100% tuition reimbursement at the University of Minnesota’s rate. Additionally, a federal incentive called the Health Professions Scholarship program provides a $2,270 stipend per month to cover living expenses.
“Medicine is much like the military in that it’s not an individual sport,” Hamlar added. “Medical providers depend on their team – nurses, administrators, and therapists – to be successful. Medics are used to that, because they depend on the Soldier or Airman to their left or right. Like the military, this program offers medics the opportunity to be part of something greater to themselves; as medical providers, these individuals would have the opportunity to benefit society for life.”
To date, two medics from Minnesota have been accepted into the program – one of whom is New Prague native Army Spc. Lauren Kitner. “The MM2MS program is truly a program like no other,” Kitner said. “I am honored to be part of a program that not only recognizes but truly values the skills and experiences I have gained as a combat medic. The opportunity to seamlessly transition from military service into medical school, while continuing to serve my community, is both humbling and exhilarating.”
Lauren joined the Minnesota National Guard as a medic when she was 18, during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately after graduating from New Prague High School. After undergoing Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sam Houston, she began her time as a part-time Soldier with the Headquarters & Headquarters Troop 1-94 Cavalry in Duluth, Minnesota. In addition to her service, she pursued her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota in health & wellbeing sciences, while working as a scribe in the emergency room, as well as engaging in research and volunteer opportunities at Hennepin County Medical Center and Masonic Children’s Hospital, respectively.
Medical providers in the Minnesota National Guard are in short supply, and this program offers the opportunity to provide another source of qualified doctors. The program also offers currently serving providers an opportunity to serve as mentors for students going through MM2MS. Individuals interested in this program can reach out to Army Capt. Alexander Rank, specialty branch recruiter, for more information.

Story By 1st Lt. Austin Stibbe

Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs

Minnesota National Guard Child & Youth Program State Teen Panel member Lily Johnson represented the National Guard as a delegate at the Joint Service Teen Council Summit held June 1-6 in Pentagon City, Virginia.

Johnson, who also serves as the Army directorate teen panelist representing the Army National Guard, was one of 17 military teen representatives from all of the services and components who presented to the nation’s top leaders on issues that affect today’s military youth.

“During a special briefing held at the Pentagon, we presented concerns, including the challenges that geographically dispersed youth face, as well as how some official documents are redacted and affect the eligibility of Gold Star youth,” Johnson said. “The council was made up of teens from military bases around the world, each bringing a diverse perspective to the table. Our collaboration leads to strong connections and teamwork.”

The teens also toured Washington, D.C. and visited the national monuments during the five-day summit.

“This experience not only strengthened our leadership skills but also our understanding of the overall impact we can have in the military community,” Johnson said.

Story by Cristina Oxtra

Minnesota National Guard Public Affairs