Guard News - The National Guard

Guard Bureau Chief Promotes Partnerships at Defense Services Asia Exhibition
May 12, 2024 — KUALA LUMPUR – Alliances and partnerships underscored the National Guard Bureau chief’s participation in one of Asia’s largest defense and homeland security events on May 6. Army Gen. Daniel... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, participates in the 2024 Defence Services Asia conference and exhibit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 6, 2024. While at DSA, Hokanson joined a panel discussion to talk about the National Guard State Partnership Program.

Virginia Guard Takes Holistic Approach to Health, Readiness
May 10, 2024 — RICHMOND, Va. – While the Virginia National Guard has long had dedicated personnel ready to respond to a Soldier or Airman in crisis, a new team of specialists focuses on prevention to help maintain... MORE

The Virginia National Guard has a new Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce of specialists to help maintain the force’s readiness and health. The team includes general prevention specialists and members focused on preventing workplace, sexual and family violence and abuse, harassment and self-directed harm.

West Virginia’s 167th Wing Conducts Readiness Exercise
May 10, 2024 — MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The 167th Airlift Wing completed a four-day Readiness Exercise Validation, Sentry Unicorn 2024, at Shepherd Field April 21.Held in tandem with the West Virginia National Guard’s... MORE

A U.S. Army M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System from Alpha Battery, 5-113th Field Artillery Battalion, North Carolina National Guard, is loaded into a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft with the 167th Airlift Wing as part of a live-fire exercise during exercise Sentry Unicorn 2024 at Holland Drop Zone, Vass, North Carolina, Apr. 20, 2024. Held in tandem with the West Virginia National Guard Sentry Storm exercise, Sentry Unicorn 2024 served as a Readiness Exercise Validation to gauge the wing’s self-assessment capabilities.

New York Army Guard Hosts Regional Best Warrior Competition
May 10, 2024 — NEW YORK - The Northeast region Best Warrior Competition, hosted by the New York Army National Guard May 13-17, will be held at locations across the state.The 16 Soldiers from New York, New Jersey and... MORE

New York Army National Guard medics assigned to the Headquarters Company of the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry, conduct a road march in New York City May 16, 2021. In the 2024 Northeast region Best Warrior Competition, 16 Soldiers from New York, New Jersey and New England will participate in events across New York state.

Alaska Guard Helps Provide Free Health Care to Kodiak Residents
May 10, 2024 — KODIAK, Alaska - Alaska National Guardsmen from the 176th Wing and the 207th Aviation Troop Command based out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson began Kodiak Arctic Care ‘24 on May 6, flying equipment... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Shannon Weaver, right, a loadmaster from the 144th Airlift Squadron, 176th Wing, guides a forklift loading equipment onto a C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Kodiak Arctic Care 24 Innovative Readiness Training Mission at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, May 6, 2024. Personnel from across the U.S. Uniformed Services partnered with the Kodiak Area Native Association to deliver free medical, dental, optometry and veterinary services to residents across Alaska’s remote Kodiak Island borough.

Wisconsin Soldier, Arkansas Team Win Small Arms Championship
May 10, 2024 — NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Wisconsin National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Swanson won the title of 53rd Winston P. Wilson Small Arms Champion at the 2024 Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Matches at... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Swanson of the Wisconsin National Guard won the Individual Grand Aggregate award at the 53rd Winston P. Wilson Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Joseph T. Robinson, North Little Rock, Arkansas, April 27-May 3, 2024.

Air National Guard Chaplains Convene for Annual Symposium
May 9, 2024 — JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. - Air National Guard chaplains and religious affairs Airmen from around the country convened at Joint Base Andrews April 30 to May 2 for the 2024 Air National Guard Chaplain... MORE

U.S. Air Force Col. Leah Boling, director, Air National Guard Chaplain Corps, answers questions during a panel session at the ANG Chaplain Corps Religious Support Team Symposium at Joint Base Andrews, Md., May 2, 2024. The annual event brought together religious leaders and support personnel from across the nation to collaborate on religious freedom, accommodation, morale and readiness of chaplains across the force.

Wisconsin National Guard Airmen hone combat lifesaving skills
May 9, 2024 — CAMP DOUGLAS, Wis. - Wisconsin Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing Airmen engaged in the Tactical Combat Casualty Care - Combat Life Savers Course April 18 at Volk Field Air National Guard... MORE

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Vandermolen, explosive ordnance disposal technician with the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing, prepares to transport a simulated injured patient during a tactical combat casualty care exercise April 18, 2024, at Volk Field Air National Guard Base near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin. The training exercise was part of a 40-hour Tactical Combat Casualty Care - Combat Life Savers Course.

Oklahoma Guardsmen Face New Adversary in Best Warrior Competition
May 9, 2024 — OKLAHOMA CITY - Guardsmen faced an emerging and rapidly growing threat in Oklahoma’s 2024 Best Warrior Competition.Participants were given 20 minutes to enter a heavily wooded area and camouflage... MORE

Command Sgt. Maj. John Hernandez, right, command sergeant major for Oklahoma, watches as an uncrewed aircraft systems operator pilots a UAS over the 2024 Oklahoma National Guard Best Warrior Competition at Camp Gruber Training Center April 26. This was the first time the OKARNG counter-UAS school integrated into the competition.

New Hampshire Airman Saves Man’s Life at Gym
May 9, 2024 — PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – Moments after stepping into his local gym, a New Hampshire National Guardsman saved the life of a fellow patron on the evening of April 15.“There was a man on the... MORE

Airman 1st Class Sokthearrith Dong, an aircrew flight equipment specialist with the 157th Operations Group, poses on the flight line May 5, 2024, at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire. When a man collapsed at Dong’s gym April 15, he immediately initiated emergency care and saved his life.

Indiana National Guardsmen, Marines Train to Save Lives
May 9, 2024 — LAWRENCE, Ind. -” This is Flintlock requesting a 9-line medevac.”So begins the training for Marines to call for a medical evacuation, training to help save lives.Approximately 120 Marines with the... MORE

Indiana National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Throne Martin, a 38th Combat Aviation Brigade crew chief from Shelbyville, Indiana, briefs Marines during medevac training in Lawrence, Indiana, May 4, 2024.

South Carolina Guard Hosts Joint Medical Training
May 8, 2024 — MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. - The 169th Medical Group hosted the skill-based joint medical training initiative MEDFLAG 2024 May 2-3.This event, created out of necessity during the... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 169th Medical Group, Soldiers from Detachment 2, C Company, 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), and health care professionals from Prisma Health practice decontaminating, triaging, and tactical combat casualty care in a simulated mass casualty incident during MEDFLAG at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina, May 2, 2024.

New Hampshire Airmen Train in Medical Center Emergency Room
May 8, 2024 — PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – Staff Sgt. During a recent training opportunity, Dustin Allison, an aerospace medic with the 157th Medical Group, was a part of the buzz in the Catholic Medical... MORE

Staff Sgt. Dustin Allison, an aerospace medic with the 157th Medical Group, draws blood from Kevin Drew, Catholic Medical Center Emergency Room director, as part of a training affiliation agreement between the New Hampshire Air National Guard and CMC April 17, 2024, in Manchester, New Hampshire. The partnership provides an extra set of hands in the hospital’s emergency department and gives the Airmen real-world training with industry partners on more than 100 critical skill-based responsibilities.

Georgia Army Guard Joins DEFENDER 24 Exercise in Sweden
May 8, 2024 — SKILLINGARYD, Sweden - This year’s DEFENDER 24 exercise emphasizes the significant partnership between the United States and Sweden, NATO’s newest member, with the Georgia Army National Guard putting... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Crandale Jackson, a cannon crewmember assigned to Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery Regiment, 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, speaks to Swedish Military Police during DEFENDER 24 in Skillingaryd, Sweden, May 5, 2024. DEFENDER 24 is the Dynamic Employment of Forces to Europe for NATO Deterrence and Enhanced Readiness, and is a U.S. European Command scheduled, U.S. Army Europe and Africa conducted exercises that consist of Saber Strike, Immediate Response and Swift Response.

Alaska Air Guard’s 168th Wing Refuels Red Flag Exercise
May 8, 2024 — EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - Red Flag-Alaska 24-1, a Pacific Air Forces-led exercise, ramped up operations at Eielson Air Force Base, enabling Italian Air Forces and the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy... MORE

A U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcon approaches the boom of a 168th Wing KC-135 Stratotanker during Red Flag Alaska 24-1 aerial refueling operations over Alaska April 24, 2024. The 168th Wing provided air refueling during the exercise.

Exercise Gobi Wolf 2024 Begins in Heart of Mongolian Steppe
May 8, 2024 — CHOIBALSAN, Mongolia - Exercise Gobi Wolf 2024, a multinational civil and military training exercise, commenced with an opening ceremony and expert academic discussion in the Dornod Province capital... MORE

Brig. Gen. B. Uuganbayar, left, deputy director of the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency, presents a commemorative anniversary plaque to Australian Maj. Gen. Scott Winter, deputy commanding general - strategy and plans for the U.S. Army Pacific, during the Gobi Wolf 2024 opening ceremony at the Governor’s Palace in Choibalsan, Mongolia, May 7, 2024. Gobi Wolf is an annual joint exercise coordinated by the Mongolian National Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Army Pacific that focuses on interagency coordination within Mongolia, as well as foreign humanitarian assistance during a large-scale natural disaster.

Tennessee Guardsmen Win Sullivan Cup as Top Tank Crew
May 7, 2024 — NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four Soldiers from Ashland City’s Troop B, 1st Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, won first place during the prestigious 2024 Sullivan Cup competition at Fort Moore, Georgia,... MORE

Four Tennessee National Guard Soldiers from Ashland City’s Troop B, 1st Squadron, 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, won first place during the prestigious 2024 Sullivan Cup competition at Fort Moore, Georgia, April 29 to May 3. Staff Sgt. David Riddick, Sgt. Joshua Owen, Spc. Noah Eddings, and Spc. Seth Carter defeated six teams from active-duty Army units and four from allied nations to earn the honor of being the best tank crew.

New York Soldiers Represent Guard at All-Army EOD Competition
May 7, 2024 — FORT LIBERTY, N.C. - Two New York Soldiers represented the Army National Guard at the All-Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team of the Year Competition April 21-26.Sgt. 1st Class John Iseman and Sgt... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class John Iseman, left, and Sgt. Jesus Calixto, explosive rrdnance disposal technicians with the 1108th Ordnance Company, discuss their strategy during the 2024 All-Army EOD Team of the Year competition in Fort Liberty, N.C., April 21-26. Iseman and Calixto represented the Army National Guard.

New Hampshire Army National Guard Hosts Norwegian Foot March
May 7, 2024 — CONCORD, N.H. - Sixty-one New Hampshire Guardsmen braved the Scandinavian crucible known as the Norwegian Foot March May 4 in Concord.Soldiers and Airmen clad in camouflage, combat boots and 25-pound... MORE

Master Sgt. Kenneth Boff of Joint Force Headquarters, New Hampshire Army National Guard, laces up before the 18.6-mile Norwegian Foot March May 4, 2024, in Concord, N.H. Boff was one of 39 of 61 competitors to complete the event in the prescribed time, finishing in about 4:24:00 while pushing through cramps, blisters and dehydration.

Wisconsin Guard Soldier Wins Regional Best Warrior Tiebreaker
May 7, 2024 — CAMP DODGE, Iowa - A Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldier from Wausau will compete against the top National Guard Soldiers in the country at the national Best Warrior Competition in Vermont this... MORE

Spc. Tevin Kenton, from the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Troop C, 1st Squadron, 105th Cavalry Regiment, fires an M-320 grenade launcher May 3 during the 2024 Region IV Best Warrior Competition at Camp Dodge, Iowa. Kenton took first place in the lower enlisted division and will represent Wisconsin at the national Best Warrior Competition this August in Vermont.