Guard News - The National Guard

Northern Strike 24-1 Tests Winter Warfare Skills
January 26, 2024 — CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. – A frigid winter wind fluttered past the snow-covered landscape as Sgt. Shane Vanderhoek, an indirect fire infantryman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion,... MORE

Spc. Emilio Bailey, an indirect fire infantryman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Michigan Army National Guard, signals to others in his unit while sighting in an 81 mm mortar during exercise Northern Strike 24-1 at Camp Grayling Maneuver Training Center, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2024. Northern Strike 24-1 is the winter warfare component of the annual National Guard Bureau-sponsored Northern Strike exercise series.

Hokanson Sees Nascent Austria-Vermont National Guard Partnership Expanding
January 24, 2024 — VIENNA, Austria – The Republic of Austria and Vermont share historical and cultural roots based on common values, economic collaboration, winter sports, mountaineering, and, more recently, security... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, speaks with Gen. Rudolf Striedinger, Austria’s chief of defense, and joint Austrian Armed Forces leaders at the Federal Ministry of Defence of Austria in Vienna Jan. 19, 2024. Austria and the Vermont National Guard are paired in the 100-nation Defense Department National Guard State Partnership Program.

Washington, Oregon National Guard Soldiers Test New Weapons
January 24, 2024 — JOINT BASE LEWIS MCHORD, Wash. - Washington and Oregon National Guard Soldiers with the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 96th Troop Command started the new year with a bang by conducting new... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dustin Davis, a section sergeant with Bravo Company, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Oregon National Guard, fires the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System during a new weapons fielding training event at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Jan. 17, 2024. The live-fire exercise gives Soldiers an opportunity to familiarize themselves with new weapon systems being introduced to the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 96th Troop Command.

Michigan Mortarmen Provide Indirect Fire at Northern Strike
January 24, 2024 — CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. - Indirect fire infantrymen, commonly referred to as mortarmen, provide offensive, defensive and retrograde ground combat tactical operational support.During Northern Strike 24-1,... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Shane Vanderhoek, center, a mortarman gunner with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 125th Infantry Regiment, Michigan National Guard, sights in an 81 mm mortar during mortar crew validation as part of exercise Northern Strike 24-1 at the All-Domain Warfighting Center, Camp Grayling, Michigan, Jan. 21, 2024. Northern Strike 24-1 is the winter portion of the annual exercise that develops capabilities required to operate in Arctic regions.

Georgia Air National Guard Receives its 1st C-130J-30 Aircraft
January 22, 2024 — MARIETTA, Ga. - The 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, received the first of its eight C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlift aircraft during a Jan. 22 ceremony commemorating a new era... MORE

The 165th Airlift Wing, Georgia Air National Guard's first C-130J Super Hercules, tail number 5975, is staged in front of a Lockheed Martin hangar in Marietta, Ga., Jan. 22, 2024, for a delivery ceremony display. The 165 AW received the first of its eight C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlift aircraft during a ceremony commemorating a new era in Hercules operations for the wing.

Guard Chief Hokanson Talks Security Cooperation in Ireland
January 22, 2024 — DUBLIN – The National Guard’s top general met with Irish Defence Forces and government leaders last week to discuss the potential for security cooperation engagements between the Republic of Ireland... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, center, meets with Lt. Gen. Sean Clancy, the Irish Defense Forces chief of staff, Dublin, Ireland, Jan. 16, 2024.

New Hampshire Guard, Partner Cabo Verde Facilitate Book Exchange
January 22, 2024 — BOW, N.H. - New Hampshire National Guard members collected 33 boxes of donated books from Bow High School Jan. 17 to deliver as early as next month to Pedro Gomes High School in Cabo Verde.“They... MORE

Spc. Olivia Palmiter, international support specialist with Joint Force Headquarters, New Hampshire Army National Guard, helps load donated books into a cargo van Jan. 17, 2024, at Bow High School in Bow, New Hampshire. New Hampshire Guardsmen collected 33 boxes of donated books to be delivered to students at Pedro Gomes High School in Cabo Verde as early as next month.

Michigan Army Guard Civil Support Team Trains with Law Enforcement
January 22, 2024 — DETROIT - Highly specialized teams from the Michigan Army National Guard trained with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies during a countering weapons of mass destruction response... MORE

Lt. Col. Sara So, commander of the 51st Civil Support Team, and 1st. Sgt. Adam Stock discuss exercise details during training to enhance interagency effectiveness between the Michigan National Guard and its emergency response partners. The training took place at Ford Field in Detroit Jan. 11, 2024.

New York National Guard Responds to Winter Storm in Western New York
January 22, 2024 — BUFFALO, N.Y. – The New York National Guard activated 132 Soldiers and Airmen to help local officials deal with a winter storm that hit Buffalo the weekend of Jan. 13-15.The storm dumped 17 inches of... MORE

Staff Sgt. Nathan Wojtkowiak, Tech. Sgt. Kevin Pawlukovich and Staff Sgt. Jacob Qualiana, assigned to the 107th Attack Wing, pause from keeping entrances clear at Erie Community South Campus warming station in Orchard Park, New York, Jan. 15, 2024. Seasonally activated warming stations established around Western New York provide stranded and homeless civilians refuge from extreme winter conditions.

New Hampshire Guard Member Helps Man with Dementia
January 19, 2024 — NEWINGTON, N.H. - A New Hampshire Guardsman with the 157th Air Refueling Wing was driving down a dark and winding back road along the Piscataqua River on her way to the gym at 5:30 a.m. Jan. 3 when... MORE

Tech. Sgt. Yvonne Bartoszak, a member of the Traffic Management Office with the 157th Logistics Readiness Squadron, poses in front of the New Hampshire flag Jan. 17, 2024, at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire. Bartoszak helped an elderly man with dementia in Newington Jan. 3.

Nevada Army Aviator Moves to Finance, Logistics Management
January 19, 2024 — CARSON CITY, Nev. – Lt. Col. Andrew Wagner’s career flight path is set to divert from rotary-wing aviation to financial and logistics management Jan. 19 when he succeeds Col. Mary Devine as the U.S... MORE

Lt. Col. Andrew Wagner, a longtime Army aviator, on Jan. 19, 2024, becomes the 10th U.S. property and fiscal officer for Nevada since the conclusion of World War II. He is shown on Jan. 17 next to memorabilia saved from Lt. Col. Michael Norton’s stint as the first USPFO for Nevada following the global conflict.

Texas Air Guard Tests Agile Combat Employment with MQ-9 Reaper
January 18, 2024 — GALVESTON, Texas - The 147th Attack Wing used an MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial system for satellite launch and recovery operations Jan. 10, conducting Agile Combat Employment operations at Scholes... MORE

A Texas Air National Guard member of the 147th Attack Wing Aircraft Maintenance Squadron watches as an MQ-9 Reaper prepares to taxi at Scholes International Airport in Galveston, Texas, Jan. 10, 2024. The wing tested satellite launch and recovery operations as part of its approach to the Agile Combat Employment concept.

Alaska Air National Guard Rescues Injured Snowmachiner
January 18, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guard Airmen of the 176th Wing rescued an injured snowmachine rider Jan. 15 about 20 miles northeast of Valdez.The snowmachiner activated... MORE

An Alaska National Guard 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk refuels with a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II during a training exercise. A 210th Pave Hawk required air-to-air refueling during a Jan. 15, 2024, rescue of a snowmachiner near Valdez.

NCO Development a Security Goal of DC Guard, Jamaica Partnership
January 17, 2024 — KINGSTON, Jamaica - District of Columbia National Guard members participated in an NCO career development exchange with the Jamaica Defence Force Dec. 12-14 at the Caribbean Military Academy in... MORE

Sgt. Maj. Esmeralda Vaquerano, right foreground, G-1 (personnel) sergeant major for the D.C. Army National Guard, tours the Caribbean Military Academy with a member of the Jamaica Defence Force during a State Partnership Program expert exchange Dec. 12-14, 2023, in Kingston, Jamaica.

West Virginia’s 130th Airlift Wing Certified for C-130J-30
January 17, 2024 — CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia National Guard’s 130th Airlift Wing has met the requirements to be declared a C-130J-30 unit with Initial Operational Capability as of Jan. 1.The 130th has been... MORE

The 130th Airlift Wing has met the requirements to be declared a C-130J-30 unit with Initial Operational Capability as of Jan. 1, 2024, the West Virginia National Guard announced. The 130th has been in the process of transitioning airframes from the C-130 H3 Hercules model to the advanced C-130J-30 Super Hercules model since 2021.

New Year Brings New Focus on Airmen Fitness
January 16, 2024 — SIOUX CITY, Iowa – As the new year begins, post-holiday realities of too much eating and too little activity begin to set in. Many Americans choose this time of year to refocus their attention on... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard Technical Sgt. Devon Parr, a 185th Air Refueling Wing aerospace propulsion technician, demonstrates a forearm plank

New Hampshire Army Guard Pilot Injured in Iraq Returns to Cockpit
January 12, 2024 — CONCORD, N.H. - After receiving intel of a potential Iranian attack on Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq, Capt. Brendan Meehan began calling units from the operations tent, warning them to seek... MORE

Capt. Brendan Meehan poses for a photo at the New Hampshire Army Aviation Support Facility in Concord, New Hampshire. Meehan was injured during an Iranian missile strike Jan. 8, 2020, in Al Asad Air Base, Iraq. After about two years of extensive treatment, the pilot is now flying again and commanding a unit.

Washington Guard, Thais Share Air Search and Rescue Tips
January 10, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation and a Tactical Air Control Party Airman from the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron shared knowledge with the... MORE

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Chris Cuddington and Sgt. Richard Diaz, 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, Washington National Guard, talk with Royal Thai Army Aviation members about aircraft hydraulics during a subject matter expert exchange in December 2023 in Lopburi, Kingdom of Thailand. The Washington National Guard and Thailand are partners in the State Partnership Program.

Massachusetts Guard Airmen Conduct Casualty Care Exercise
January 10, 2024 — OTIS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. - The 102nd Civil Engineer Squadron hosted a Tactical Combat Casualty Care exercise Jan. 7 to prepare Airmen for deployment and ensure unit readiness on Otis Air... MORE

Airmen of the 102nd Civil Engineer Squadron hosted and participated in a Tactical Combat Casualty Care exercise to prepare Airmen for deployment and ensure unit readiness on Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, Jan. 7, 2023.

Georgia Guard Unit to Document US Central Command Operations
January 8, 2024 — MARIETTA, Ga. - A Georgia National Guard unit is heading to the Middle East to document history on behalf of the U.S. Army.The Marietta-based 161st Military History Detachment held a ceremony Jan. 7... MORE

Capt. Richard Hughes and Sgt. Tianna Wilson, commander and noncommissioned officer in charge of the 161st Military History Detachment, respectively, case the unit guidon during the unit's deployment ceremony at Clay National Guard Center, Marietta, Georgia, Jan. 7, 2024. The unit will head to the Middle East to collect the history of the U.S. Army Central Command in the area.

New York Army Guard Soldiers Heading to North Africa

Virginia Guard Avionics Team Tackles High-flying Challenges

New Jersey Guardsman Rescues Injured Worker

Georgia Guard Provides Airborne Safety Training

California Guard, U.S. Forest Service Train on Aerial Firefighting