News Features - The National Guard

NY Guard’s 42nd Division bloodied in battle 75 years ago
December 31, 2019 — TROY, N.Y. – In the earliest days of 1945, Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division, now a part of the... MORE

U.S. Army Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division prepare a defensive position at their log and dirt bunker near Kauffenheim, France, Jan. 8, 1945. The Soldiers, assigned to Company I, 242nd Regiment, held off the German offensive in Alsace, France, called Operation Nordwind without the division’s artillery or support elements. The actions of one division Soldier, Master Sgt. Vito Bertoldo, were highlighted in the 2018 Netflix documentary “Medal of Honor.”

NY National Guard Airmen helping NORAD track Santa this year
December 20, 2019 — ROME, N.Y – New York Air National Guardsmen and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel from the Eastern... MORE

Airmen at the Eastern Air Defense Sector (EADS) train in preparation for Santa’s Christmas Eve flight at EADS headquarters in Rome, N.Y., Dec. 17, 2019. Pictured are, from right, Senior Airman Timothy Destito of the New York Air National Guard; Capt. John Byeon, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Capt. Sarah Atherton, New York Air National Guard. Atherton and Destito are members of the 224th Air Defense Squadron and Byeon is a member of the Canadian Detachment at EADS.

Volk Field evolves to continue legacy of service dating to 1888
December 19, 2019 — VOLK FIELD, Wis. – As 2019 draws to a close, so too does Volk Field Combat Readiness Training... MORE

1st. Lt. Jerome Volk, seen at his F-80 Shooting Star fighter jet in October 1951 while deployed in support of the Korean War. Volk, the first Wisconsin Air National Guard pilot to die in the line of duty during the Korean conflict, was shot down during a combat sortie against communist forces Nov. 7, 1951, and his remains have never been recovered. In 1957 the Wisconsin Legislature renamed the portion of Camp Williams used by the Wisconsin Air National Guard as Volk Field.

Florida Youth ChalleNGe changes lives for the better
December 18, 2019 — ORANGE PARK, Fla. – On Dec. 17 at the Thrasher-Horne Center, 144 cadets of class 37 of the Florida... MORE

Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy class 37 valedictorian Michael Caldwell from Clearwater addresses his fellow cadets during their graduation ceremony Dec. 17 at Thrasher-Horne Center in Orange Park. Caldwell joined the program as a sophomore at risk of failing, and after enduring a rigorous five-and-a-half-month residential phase, he now has his GED and is looking forward to attending community college.

Missouri Airman returns to flight with one eye
December 18, 2019 — ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – U.S. Air Force Maj. Ed Fattmann, a pilot assigned to the 180th Airlift Squadron,... MORE

U.S. Air Force Maj. Ed Fattmann, a pilot assigned to the 180th Airlift Squadron, Missouri Air National Guard, takes his first flight as an aircraft commander with one eye, above St. Joseph, Missouri, Sept. 4, 2019.

Soldiers serve in childhood town as commander, 1st sergeant
December 17, 2019 — BOISE, Idaho – Idaho Army National Guard Capt. Robert Taylor and 1st Sgt. Derek Clemence share a... MORE

Idaho Army National Guard Capt. Robert Taylor and 1st Sgt. Derek Clemence serve in their childhood town of Mountain Home, Idaho, as commander and first sergeant of A Company, 116th Brigade Engineer Battalion. They grew up in the small town and are graduates of Mountain Home High School.

30th ABCT celebrates National Guard's 383rd birthday
December 13, 2019 — CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – The 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team Guard celebrated the National Guard's... MORE

U.S. Army Col. Robert Bumgardner, commander of the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina Army National Guard, is flanked by the youngest Soldier and most senior Soldier in the ranks for a cake-cutting ceremony in honor of the National Guard's 383rd birthday, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Dec. 13, 2019. Joining Bumgardner were Pfc. Charlie Christie, of the Ohio Army National Guard’s 145th Armor Regiment, and Chaplain Maj. William Withers of the 236th Brigade Engineer Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard. The unit is deployed in the Middle East to support Operation Spartan Shield.

Family from the 121st prioritizes service
December 13, 2019 — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Many Airmen and service members come from long lines of military heritage and... MORE

Carson Walker was sworn into the 121st Air Refueling Wing in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 25, 2019. Carson is carrying on a family tradition as his mother, father, and brother have all served at the 121st ARW.

W.Va. National Guard family continues tradition of service
December 9, 2019 — CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Military service is often a family tradition, as one generation passes along the... MORE

Tyler Phillips stands with his family after taking the oath of enlistment from his grandfather Daniel Phillips, a former Troop Commander in the 1-150th Cavalry Regiment, West Virginia Army National Guard.

Alaska Guard brings Christmas gifts to children in villages
December 9, 2019 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — The Alaska National Guard has a tradition of serving... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard Sgt. Randall Andrew, an infantryman assigned to the National Guard Readiness Center in Bethel, Alaska, gives a child a gift during Operation Santa Claus in Napakiak, Alaska, Dec. 3, 2019

Oregon Guard Sharpens Combat Skills Before Deployment

Alaska Army Guard, Marine Corps Enhance Aviation Tactics

Guard Chief Visits Pennsylvania Guard, Aviation Training Site

Kentucky, Tennessee Win Regional Best Warrior Competition

Ohio Guard Air Control Squadron Trains with NATO Partners