Guard News - The National Guard

Minnesota Guard, Navy, Coast Guard partner for dive training
February 2, 2022 — LITTLE FALLS, Minn. – Camp Ripley is hosting the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy in under-ice water diving training.“As our focus shifts to a different environment, Camp Ripley is proud to work together... MORE

The U.S. Navy is working alongside the U.S. Coast Guard to host an annual ice dive training course on Camp Ripley in Minnesota Jan. 29-Feb. 10, 2022. The course provides real-world ice and cold weather dive training in arctic conditions.

Minnesota National Guard fills gap amid COVID-19 surge
January 18, 2022 — COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. – The Minnesota National Guard is supporting new COVID-19 community testing sites in Cottage Grove, Anoka and North Branch.The Minnesota National Guard now has approximately 200... MORE

Minnesota National Guard Staff Sgt. John O'Donnell,148th Fighter Wing Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, provides COVID-19 testing support at a community-based testing site at the Hibbing, Minnesota, armory December 20, 2021. The Minnesota National Guard is partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health to staff COVID-19 testing sites across Minnesota.

Task Force Phoenix ends 9-month mission in Middle East
January 10, 2022 — CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait – With the casing of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade’s red and blue colors, Task Force Phoenix’s nine-month mission in the Middle East formally came to an end.On Jan. 6, Col... MORE

Task Force Phoenix Over the Horizon (OTH) force CH-47 Chinook helicopters arrive at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Aug. 3, 2021. The helicopters are flown by crews from Task Force Phoenix's 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation Battalion), from the Minnesota and Iowa National Guard.

Air National Guard, Active Air Force train in arctic weather
December 28, 2021 — CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. — Nearly 30 Airmen assigned to the 123rd Contingency Response Group (CRG) returned to Camp Ripley for a second round of cold weather training December 13-17. The Kentucky Air... MORE

Nearly 30 Airmen assigned to the Kentucky Air National Guard unit and part of the 123rd Airlift Wing returned to Camp Ripley, Minnesota, December 13-17, 2021, for a second round of cold weather training under the 123rd Contingency Response Group (CRG) which specializes in opening airfields in remote areas.

Year in Review: National Guard delivered at home and abroad
December 22, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – When a series of tornadoes slashed across parts of eight Midwest states late in the evening of Dec. 10, Spc. Zach Neisz sprang into action. He grabbed an ax, flashlight and medical... MORE

New Jersey National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment, 508th Military Police Company, 108th Wing, and 177th Fighter Wing, arrive near the U.S. Capitol Jan. 12, 2021. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from every state, territory and the District of Columbia traveled to Washington to support federal and district authorities for the 59th Presidential Inauguration.

VNG cyber protection battalion completes TF Echo mission
December 17, 2021 — FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. – The Virginia National Guard’s 123rd Cyber Protection Battalion, 91st Cyber Brigade, ended its support for Task Force Echo with a transition of authority ceremony Dec... MORE

Army National Guard Soldiers of the 123rd Cyber Protection Battalion, 91st Cyber Brigade, completed their support of the Task Force Echo V mission and returned to their home states of Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia and Wisconsin after a transition of authority ceremony Dec. 1, 2021, at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland.

Minnesota National Guard to support health care facilities
November 23, 2021 — ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Tim Walz has activated the Minnesota National Guard to serve as skilled-nursing “rapid response teams” to support health care facilities experiencing severe staffing... MORE

Members of the Minnesota National Guard, activated by Gov. Tim Walz Nov. 18, 2021, to support health care facilities experiencing severe staffing shortages, train as certified nursing assistants and temporary nursing aides.

Minnesota National Guard, Croatia strengthen 25-year ties
November 19, 2021 — CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. – Six leaders of the Croatian Army visited Camp Ripley and the Regional Training Institute – Maintenance Oct. 25-29 as part of its 25-year partnership with the Minnesota National... MORE

Croatian service members visit the Regional Training Site-Maintenance at Camp Ripley, Minnesota, Oct. 24, 2021, to continue a 25-year partnership with the Minnesota National Guard under the State Partnership Program. During the week-long trip, Minnesota National Guard instructors trained the Croatians on equipment and maintenance on the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle and Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

National Guard leader to Croatia president: 'Thank you for quarter-century partnership'
November 12, 2021 — ZAGREB, Croatia – Increased readiness, improved capabilities and enhanced interoperability between American and Croatian military forces.Those are just three of the benefits the National Guard's most... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, right, and Croatia's President Zoran Milanovic, Zagreb, Croatia, Nov. 5, 2021.

Minnesota National Guard responds to latest COVID surge
November 10, 2021 — CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. – Minnesota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were activated this month to support the state's COVID-19 response once again.As coronavirus cases in Minnesota continue to overwhelm... MORE

Minnesota National Guard Soldiers and Airmen train on Camp Ripley as nursing aides to support the state’s COVID-19 response in November 2021. Their focus includes staffing temporary care facilities.

Minnesota Guard father, daughter serve together
October 12, 2021 — FORT RILEY, Kan. – For many, joining a military unit is like becoming part of a family. That figurative idea became very literal for Spc. Emma Brown when she found out her first duty assignment would... MORE

Minnesota National Guard Spc. Emma Brown and her father, Maj. David Brown, shown at Fort Riley, Kansas, are both assigned to Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, and are participating in Warfighter Exercise 22-1.

Army Guard director awarded Croatian Duke of Trpimir medal
September 30, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – The director of the Army National Guard was awarded the Duke of Trpimir medal by Croatian President Zoran Milanović during a ceremony Sept. 27 in Split, Croatia, honoring the 25-year... MORE

Croatian President Zoran Milanović, left, presents the Duke of Trpimir medal to Army Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, the director of the Army National Guard, during a ceremony in Split, Croatia, Sept. 27, 2021, in honor of the 25-year partnership between the Minnesota National Guard and Croatia as part of the State Partnership Program. The Department of Defense's State Partnership Program pairs National Guard elements with partner nations worldwide and currently consists of 85 partnerships with 92 nations.

Soldier aids crash victims on drive home
September 13, 2021 — ST. PAUL, Minn. - She was driving south of Interstate 35E just south of St. Paul on a Friday afternoon when out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention. She looked over and saw that a... MORE

A vehicle is wedged under an overpass off of I-35 in Minnesota after it crashed Aug. 20, 2021. Minnesota National Guard 1st Sgt. Christopher Reed, the joint operations center noncommissioned officer in charge and first sergeant of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, helped the two passengers, who were OK.

Wisconsin Guard cyber team serving 1st federal deployment
September 7, 2021 — MADISON, Wis. – Soldiers with the Wisconsin National Guard's Detachment 1, 176th Cyber Protection Team, have made tremendous strides during the unit's first federal deployment, to Fort Meade,... MORE

Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Detachment 1, 176th Cyber Protection Team, with Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, following their external evaluation exercise prior to deploying. The team, which includes Soldiers from Minnesota, Illinois and Virginia, is in the midst of a mobilization to cyberspace operations in support of U.S. Cyber Command and Cyber National Mission Force requirements.

Refugee is now a Vermont National Guard officer
September 3, 2021 — CAMP JOHNSON, Vt. – The road to becoming an officer in the Vermont National Guard began in 2016 for 2nd Lt. Abdimaik Hashi when he enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard.As a 19K armor... MORE

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Abdimaik Hashi, a newly commissioned transportation officer in the Vermont National Guard, is assigned to assist the Vermont National Guard state resilience coordinator at Camp Johnson, Joint Force Headquarters, Colchester, Vermont. Hashi, shown on Aug. 13, 2021, spent the first eight years of his life in a refugee camp in Kenya.

National Guard helps with massive Afghanistan evacuation
August 25, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – National Guard Airmen and Soldiers from around the United States are playing a key role in the historic evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan.The Air National... MORE

Afghanistan evacuees arrive on a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, crewed by Alaska Air National Guard members from the 144th Airlift Squadron, of the 176th Wing, and active-duty Airmen from the 517th Airlift Squadron, of the 3rd Wing, at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Aug. 23, 2021. U.S. Air Force Airmen are assisting with evacuations of Americans and allied civilian personnel from Afghanistan.

Minnesota National Guard supports Afghanistan evacuation
August 24, 2021 — KABUL, Afghanistan – The Minnesota National Guard is helping secure Hamid Karzai International Airport during the evacuation of U.S. citizens and allies.The Minnesota Guard's Task Force 1-194... MORE

1st Lt. Michelle Jaeger, a platoon leader with the Minnesota National Guard's A Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment, interacts with Afghan children as part of operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport Aug. 21, 2021. Minnesota Soldiers are providing humanitarian assistance to U.S. citizens, special immigrant visa holders, and their families.

133rd Contingency Response Flight trains with peers
August 24, 2021 — ST. CROIX, Virgin Islands – The saying "train like you fight" is something the Airmen from the 133rd Contingency Response Flight (CRF) live by. Within 36 hours of notification of a simulated... MORE

An Airman with the 123rd Contingency Response Group, Kentucky Air National Guard, waits to marshal a C-130 Hercules from the 133rd Airlift Wing in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Aug. 18, 2021. The Airman was part of a training exercise to respond to natural disasters and set up airbase operations.

South Dakota National Guard trains in Minnesota
July 26, 2021 — CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. – The 1-147 Field Artillery Battalion from South Dakota conducted a two-week annual training at Camp Ripley Training Center.The goal of the unit, which uses the M270A1 Multiple... MORE

HIMARS crew members in the 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion, South Dakota National Guard, conduct annual training, waiting for orders inside their M270A1 MLRS at Camp Ripley Training Center in Minnesota July 15, 2021. The main mission of the 1-147th FA is to deliver precision fire on enemies.

National Guard support critical to U.S. European Command
July 22, 2021 — STUTTGART, Germany – From Poland to Kosovo, Lithuania to Ukraine, Soldiers and Airmen from the U.S. National Guard operate alongside allies and partners throughout Europe. They train in all domains,... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Sachariason, left, a Soldier assigned to the Florida Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, instructs 1st Lt. Almir Sarac, a soldier with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, how to shoot the M4A1 carbine rifle at Manjaca Training Area, Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 19, 2021.

North Carolina, North Dakota, Maine Honored for State Partnership Work

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