Army Reserve division commander joins female general officers ranks

Published April 11, 2013
By Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris
99th Regional Support Command

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The commander of the Army Reserve's 98th Training Division (IET) received promotion to brigadier general during a ceremony at the Maj. John P. Pryor Army Reserve Center April 6, 2013 here.

Brig. Gen. Mikey Kloster became one of a small percentage of female Soldiers to make general officer, and is one of the first women to command a training division in the Army Reserve.

"You all helped me earn this star," said Kloster to the 200 service members, civilians, family, friends and retirees who attended the ceremony, which was hosted by Maj. Gen. William D. Razz Waff, 99th Regional Support Command commander.

"I've had a theme in my career, and that is, 'don't stop,'" said Kloster, who holds the distinction of being the first female general officer and first female division commander AT Fort Benning, Ga. "I'm really humbled and honored to be able to do this; to continue to serve, to be promoted and to command troops in the 98th Division."

"I can't think of a better way, a better purpose than to serve as one of these brave Soldiers, to serve this country, and to protect this country and our national treasure, which is our freedom," she said. "I'm honored to continue to serve with the troops, because I wasn't ready to stop."

Kloster joined Reserve Officers' Training Corps in her junior year and was her class' distinguished military graduate. She was commissioned in June 1984 as a second lieutenant in the Adjutant General Corps, and later that year undertook her first active-duty assignment with the 54th Area Support Group in Rheinberg, Germany. There, she served as the administrative support division officer, army community services officer and Headquarters Company commander for the 54th ASG.

She next served at the Kansas City Military Entrance Processing Station, where she held the positions of adjutant and operations officer, and was a member of the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command Corporate Information Management IDEF team under the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

In July 1992, she assumed command of Headquarters Company, Fort Leavenworth, Kan., which is the largest company in the U.S. Army.

Leaving active duty in 1993, Kloster was assigned to the Delaware Army National Guard where she served with the Selective Service. She was assigned to the Kansas National Guard in 1994 where she served as the executive officer and then as personnel services officer, secretary to the general staff and headquarters commandant of the 35th Infantry Division.

Kloster joined the Army Reserve in July 2000, where she headed several positions in the office of the commanding general, 99th Regional Readiness Command. Following promotion to lieutenant colonel, she served as battalion commander of the 444th Personnel Service Battalion and subsequently served in the first rotation of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in Kuwait and Iraq
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The general has also served as chief personnel officer for several general officer-level commands, to include the Army Reserve's 99th Regional Support Command where she serves as the chief of staff in her civilian career and lives off-base with Fred the Cat.

She holds a doctorate in business administration, as well as a bachelor of arts degree in history and a master of science degree in management. She is also a graduate of the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Army War College.

Kloster's military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with four oak leaf clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster and the Parachute Badge and the Combat Action Badge.