Guard News - The National Guard

National Guard Expands Pilot Child Care Program
May 14, 2024 — WASHINGTON – Army Guardsmen in 20 states now can access drill weekend child care after the National Guard’s most senior leader signed an agreement with public partners expanding a pilot program at a... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, joins Cara Calvin-McFerren, mayor pro tem, West Liberty, Iowa and Jessica Chang, chief executive officer, Upwards, to sign a pilot child care intergovernmental support agreement at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, May 13, 2024. The initiative helps Army National Guard Soldiers with community-based child care on drill weekends.

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 Hokanson,... 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.

Guard Leaders Stress NCOs Role in State Partnership Program
May 3, 2024 — LAS VEGAS – Developing NCOs has long been a strategy in the U.S. military to build capability and maintain readiness by providing the education and training required to operate in complex... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Mikael Sundin, senior enlisted advisor to the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, talks about security cooperation and NCO development during the State Partnership Program Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 17, 2024.

Team Whiteman Demonstrates Readiness During Spirit Vigilance
April 23, 2024 — The 509th and 131st Bomb Wings capped off the most recent iteration of exercise Spirit Vigilance by performing a mass fly-off of 12 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers April 15 at Whiteman AFB... MORE

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing takes off at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., April 15, 2024. Team Whiteman executed a mass fly-over of 12 B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to cap off the annual Spirit Vigilance exercise.

Army Guard Elevates Disaster Response with UAS Training
April 18, 2024 — REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – In preparation for the direst of days on the homeland front, a dozen Citizen-Soldiers recently enhanced their technical acumen on unmanned aviation systems after completing a... MORE

A dozen Citizen-Soldiers from Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive response teams recently completed a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers qualification course at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, on operating unmanned aviation systems, enabling the Army National Guard members to fly the R80D Skyraider, pictured here. The systems provide live digital video and employ onboard sensors to relay environmental conditions while mitigating the need to put Soldiers in harm’s way.

Guard Employs AI to Battle Wildfires, Improve Disaster Response
April 8, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Inside the bustling confines of an operations center, National Guard members quickly assemble information from multiple sources, piecing together the “big picture” from ground and air... MORE

Kenneth C. McNeill, a senior executive service member and the chief information officer of the National Guard Bureau, speaks to Project Theia officials and other interested parties during a discussion at the Pentagon Feb., 2, 2023. Named after the Greek goddess of sight, Theia centralizes video data, then applies Artificial Intelligence solutions to increase situational awareness among those responding to natural or man-made disasters.

National Guard-led Space Exercise Helps Build Programs for NATO Partners
April 8, 2024 — RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – About 50 members of the Air National Guard and Romanian and Polish Armed Forces focused on space as a warfighting domain during exercise Vulcan Guard Bolt 6 at NATO’s... MORE

Air Force Staff Sgt. Javin Delgado, an electronic warfare specialist with the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing, prepares to calibrate electronic warfare equipment as Senior Airman Oscar Mendoza, a space systems operator with the 148th Space Operations Squadron, looks on during Vulcan Guard Bolt 6, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, March 27, 2024. Though not part of the mission planning portion of the space-focused exercise, Delgado and Mendoza showcased EW assets to Vulcan Guard participants and distinguished visitors.

National Guard Continues Work to Eradicate Sexual Assault, Harassment
April 3, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Guard continues to take action to prevent sexual assault and harassment within its ranks, provide victim care and support, and foster a culture to eradicate sexual... MORE

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Giselle Wilz, director of staff with the National Guard Bureau, signs the 2024 National Guard Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month proclamation as Chief Master Sgt. Kelly Hoffses, the senior enlisted advisor to the director of staff, looks on during a ceremony at the Herbert R. Temple Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington Hall Station, in Arlington, Virginia, April 1, 2024.

Women in Military Lauded at Air and Space Symposium
April 2, 2024 — COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Hundreds of female service members joined a panel to explore women’s integration into the military during the 2024 Women’s Air & Space Power Symposium at Peterson Space Force... MORE

SEA Tony Whitehead, center, senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, poses with military training instructors from the Air Force’s 433rd Training Squadron during the 2024 Women's Air & Space Power Symposium at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, March 26, 2024. The symposium addressed military integration, gender diversity, inclusivity and leadership advocacy.

Air National Guard Officers Selected for Prestigious Fellowship
March 27, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - During Women’s History Month, the National Guard Bureau is proud to congratulate three Air National Guard officers for a trailblazing achievement. U.S. Air Force Lt. Cols. Autumn... MORE

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jen Warren, center, deputy director of AFWERX, stands with Air National Guard AFWERX fellowship recipients Lt. Col. Frances Romero, left, and Lt. Col. Cristi Campbell, right. Not pictured: U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Autumn Lorenz.

Guard Bureau Chief Sees Innovation, Tech Converge in Texas
March 12, 2024 — AUSTIN – Innovation and emerging technology underscored the National Guard’s senior-most officer’s visit to Texas on March 9-10.Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, met with Texas... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, joins the South by Southwest Conference, Austin, Texas, March 9-10, 2024. Hokanson engaged with entrepreneurs, small business owners and innovators about new concepts that could benefit the Guard and the Joint Force.

New Army National Guard General Officer Reflects on Career
March 5, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - At the command “attention to orders,” Robin Hoeflein steadfastly assumed the position of attention — shoulders squared, head and eyes facing directly ahead, fingers curled against... MORE

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robin Hoeflein, vice director of the Operations Directorate at the National Guard Bureau, looks on as her husband, Ray, affixes her rank to her uniform during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, where she was promoted to her current rank Feb. 29, 2024.

Air National Guard Crisis Team Recognized for Innovation
March 1, 2024 — JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. - The Air National Guard Crisis Action Team was nominated for the 2024 General Larry O. Spencer Innovation Award for innovation that improved efficiency and operational... MORE

U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Katelyn S. Murphy, superintendent, Crisis Action Team, Air National Guard Readiness Center, National Guard Bureau, simulates gathering pertinent information on crises and events used to inform National Guard senior leaders, at the ANGRC, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Feb. 29, 2024. During event and crisis support, the CAT acts as the central Air Guard point of contact, providing enhanced operational continuity between commanders in the field and senior leaders at NGB.

Hokanson at BEYA STEM Conference: Become everything you are in the National Guard
February 17, 2024 — BALTIMORE – Science, technology, engineering and mathematics will be the foundations for solving today’s and tomorrow’s problems, the National Guard’s top officer told an audience of students, cadets,... MORE

From left, Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, SEA to the chief, National Guard Bureau; Sgt. Maj. Alan Thomas, operations sergeant major, Indiana National Guard; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Regina Carrell, a senior strategic intelligence analyst at the National Guard Bureau, and Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, at the Black Engineer of the Year Award Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Stars and Stripes dinner and reception, Baltimore, Maryland, Feb. 16, 2024. The National Guard Bureau was the featured military organization of the 2024 Stars and Stripes event.

National Guard Bureau Leaders Say Taking Care of Guardsmen Key to Meeting Mission at Home, Abroad
February 9, 2024 — WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said that as the global security landscape has become increasingly complex, the National Guard continues to fill its role... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, meets with Arkansas Guardsmen assigned to Task Force Bowie, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, on rotation overseeing training with the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Oct. 21, 2023.

Hokanson Explores National Guard Cooperation with Kingdom of Denmark
January 27, 2024 — COPENHAGEN – On the last leg of a four-country trip to strengthen security cooperation between the National Guard and European partners, the Guard’s senior-most officer talked with Danish Armed Forces... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, left, stands for a photo with Gen. Flemming Lentfer, the Danish Chief of Defense, at the Ministry of Defense, Copenhagen, Denmark, Jan. 23, 2024.

Hokanson at Reagan National Defense Forum: National Guard Part of the Fabric of America
December 4, 2023 — SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – When he returned from a tour in Iraq as the commander of the Oregon National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2009, then-Army Col. Daniel Hokanson saw how the unit’s... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, participates in a panel discussion at the 2023 Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Simi Valley, California, Dec. 2, 2023.

National Guard Joins Air Force African Senior Enlisted Leader Summit
November 13, 2023 — ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire - Senior enlisted leaders from the United States, including the State Partnership Program, and 20 African nations attended the African Senior Enlisted Leader Summit Nov. 7-9.The... MORE

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Randy Kwiatkowski, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa command chief, speaks at the first Air Force African Senior Enlisted Leader Summit in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Nov. 7, 2023. The three-day summit was hosted by U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa and Côte d'Ivoire air force senior enlisted leaders.

National Guard Unveils Senior Enlisted Advisor Positional Colors
November 2, 2023 — JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. – Almost 150 people from all service components, including National Guard leaders from all 50 states and four territories, gathered in Patton Hall to witness a... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, presents the positional colors to Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., Nov. 1, 2023. This marks the first time a senior enlisted advisor to the National Guard chief is recognized with such colors, a milestone in a tradition that dates to 1636.

DOD Leaders: Redefining Cybersecurity a Priority for All
October 23, 2023 — ARLINGTON, Va. – Cybersecurity is experiencing a dramatic transformation. What was once primarily the domain of IT specialists has evolved into a collective responsibility for all defense personnel... MORE

Gurpreet Bhatia, the Defense Department's principal director for cybersecurity, illustrates a point during a townhall discussion on cybersecurity Oct. 19, 2023 at the Herbert R. Temple Jr. Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington Hall Station, Virginia. The event was part of a government-wide recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

New York Guard Says Farewell to 100-year-old Guard Veteran

New York Air Guard Transports Special Operations Forces

Kentucky Guard Airlifts Materials for Arctic Circle Housing

Pennsylvania Guard Prepares to Train Ukrainian Forces

Tennessee National Guard Soldiers Join Multinational Exercise