Guard News - The National Guard

Kansas Guard expands wildland firefighting capabilities
September 25, 2020 — SALINA, Kan. – For the third year, the state of Kansas has expanded its capability to respond to wildland fires, thanks to a partnership between the Kansas National Guard and the Kansas Forest... MORE

Chris Hanson, right, district fire management officer with the Kansas Forest Service, monitors a controlled burn with a Kansas National Guard student during the Wildland Firefighting Red Card Certification Course at the Great Plains Regional Training Center in Salina Sept. 17, 2020.

Cyber Shield 2020 tests Washington Guard cyber professionals
September 24, 2020 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – As cyber threats become more sophisticated, there is an increased demand on cyber professionals in the National Guard to help protect critical infrastructure in cyberspace.The... MORE

Ten members of the Washington National Guard, shown at Camp Murray, Wash., Sept. 22, 2020, took part in the Cyber Shield 2020 virtual cybersecurity exercise involving more than 800 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from around the United States.

Turning brass into cash: Recycling program boosts revenue
September 24, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Service members who have spent time at the rifle range know the day isn't over until the brass is policed. But where does it go? Expended brass shell casings are one of the... MORE

Boxes of expended brass shell casings await recycling at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., in this 2017 file photo.

Red Arrow veteran killed in WWII finally receives headstone
September 24, 2020 — MILWAUKEE – A Red Arrow Soldier killed in action during World War II finally received a headstone during a Sept. 10 ceremony in Milwaukee 76 years after making the ultimate sacrifice for his country... MORE

Members of a Wisconsin National Guard color guard with Battery C, 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery, salute during a headstone dedication ceremony for Staff Sgt. Walter A. Schaller Sept. 10, 2020, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee. Schaller joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Division on April 29, 1941, and was killed in New Guinea on Feb. 20, 1944. He was buried in an unmarked grave at the cemetery in 1949 until a local historian discovered it through research.

Cyber Shield 2020 features fully virtual training exercise
September 24, 2020 — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cyber Shield 2020 is underway on networks across the nation, with more than 800 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from more than 40 states signed in for virtual training to sharpen... MORE

Ohio Army National Guard personnel with Detachment 2, U.S. Army Cyber Protection Team 172, work during the unit’s validation as part of Cyber Shield 20, Sept. 17, 2020, in Columbus, Ohio. The annual Cyber Shield is underway on networks across the nation, with more than 800 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from more than 40 states signed in for the virtual training Sept. 12-27.

Ohio National Guard food bank support extends to December
September 24, 2020 — COLUMBUS, Ohio – About 350 members of the Ohio National Guard are helping process and distribute food at 14 food bank warehouses across the state.While there are Ohio National Guard units... MORE

Joint Task Force members load food into civilian vehicles in Springfield, Ohio, Aug. 5, 2020. Since March members of the Ohio National Guard have been assisting at food banks across Ohio.

Task Force Bayonet Soldiers train in electronic warfare
September 24, 2020 — CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti – Soldiers with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment from Minnesota, conducted Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems training Aug... MORE

A Soldier with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment, looks through the optic device of the Drone Defender V2 during Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems training at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Aug. 19, 2020. The Drone Defender V2 is an electronic warfare weapon capable of downing and disabling a small unmanned aircraft system, also known as a drone.

EOC provides behind-the-scenes support during Oregon fires
September 23, 2020 — PORTLAND, Ore. – For nearly two weeks, Guardsmen from the Portland Air National Guard Base supported Operation Plan Smokey, an interagency wildfire relief effort. But the Airmen on the front lines are... MORE

Guardsmen from the 142nd Wing work in the Emergency Operation Center in support of Operation Plan Smokey at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., Sept. 18, 2020. The EOC team communicates with the Oregon Joint Operation Center to provide emergency management for scenarios such as wildfires.

Army Guard command CWO reflects on 2 years in the position
September 23, 2020 — ARLINGTON, Va. – For Chief Warrant Officer 5 Teresa Domeier, the command chief warrant officer of the Army National Guard, horses are an integral part of what it meant to grow up in rural Nebraska. It... MORE

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Teresa A. Domeier, right, the command chief warrant officer of the Army National Guard, receives a briefing on the capabilities of the UH-72 Lakota helicopter from Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jeff Caniglia, executive officer of the Nebraska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation Regiment, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center's Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany. Domeier is the first woman to serve as the command chief warrant officer of the Army Guard.

Kansas, Armenian military leaders join in SPP exchange
September 23, 2020 — TOPEKA, Kan. – The command team from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, participated in a virtual State Partnership Program exchange Sept. 8-10 with students attending the Senior... MORE

The command team from 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment, including Lt. Col. Rodney Seaba, battalion commander, center left, and Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Purdham, battalion command sergeant major, center right, joined Sgt. 1st Class Gabriel Bailey, International Affairs Operations noncommissioned officer, left, and Maj. Marci Solander, Kansas National Guard State Partnership Program director, right, in a virtual SPP exchange Sept. 8-10 with students attending the Senior Leaders Course in the Republic of Armenia. The course was conducted at the Armenian Ministry of Defense’s National Defense Research University, the Armenian equivalent of the U.S. Army War College.

Georgia Guard Soldiers get ‘stick time’ removing foundation
September 23, 2020 — FORT BENNING, Ga. – Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers spent nearly 10 days here as part of a joint project, giving Soldiers “stick time” on the heavy equipment that is part of their trade while... MORE

Georgia Army National Guard Soldiers spent nearly 10 days on Fort Benning as part of a joint project, giving Soldiers “stick time” on the heavy equipment that is part of their trade while reducing the installation’s footprint.

2020 National Guard Marathon Team Time Trials held in Omaha
September 23, 2020 — OMAHA, Neb. – National Guard athletes from 34 states and territories competed for spots on the elite All-Guard Marathon Team during the National Guard Marathon Time Trials at the Omaha Marathon Sept... MORE

National Guard and civilian runners stand ready at the starting line of the Omaha Marathon Sept. 20, 2020, in Omaha, Nebraska. National Guard runners from 34 states and territories competed for a spot on the All-Guard Marathon Team at the National Guard Marathon Time Trials at the Omaha Marathon. Traditionally in Lincoln, Nebraska, in May, the time trials were rescheduled to Omaha due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan National Guard helps get food to those in need
September 22, 2020 — ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Michigan National Guard is helping a charitable food distribution network complete its mission despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.Michigan Citizen-Soldiers and... MORE

Michigan National Guard Spc. Ralph Mitchell of the 1-182nd Field Artillery Regiment, and nine other members of his regiment help process and distribute food at the Forgotten Harvest Food Bank of Royal Oak, Mich., Sept. 15, 2020. The Food Bank delivers surplus food to charities in metro Detroit.

NY Guardsman prepares for Brazilian jungle warfare course
September 22, 2020 — SCOTIA, New York – A member of the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing is heading for the Brazilian Army's jungle training center along the Amazon River this week. Senior Airman Caleb... MORE

Senior Airman Caleb Lapinel of the 109th Airlift Wing will represent the New York National Guard and the United States at the Brazilian Army Center for Jungle Warfare instruction course in Manaus, Brazil, beginning Sept. 26, 2020.

Combat arms instructor keeps 176th Wing sharp
September 22, 2020 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Carrying a bullhorn and wearing a neon-red hat emblazoned with “Combat Arms,” Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Brian Sears looked like he might have been... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Brian Sears, a combat arms training and maintenance instructor with 176th Security Forces Squadron, coaches Airmen of 176th SFS in M4 carbine marksmanship skills Aug. 27, 2020, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. CATM instructors are specially trained Security Forces Defenders who train others to ably employ small arms.

Nebraska Guard assumes firefighter training stalled by virus
September 22, 2020 — LINCOLN, Neb. – The COVID-19 pandemic has curtailed or closed formal firefighting schools, making it difficult for the Nebraska Air Guard Base Fire Department to fill openings as members deployed,... MORE

Brent Bergstrom, Offutt Air Force Base Fire Department firefighter, trains new firefighters on Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) operations, Aug. 26, 2020, at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Neb. Since firefighter schools closed due to COVID-19 concerns, the Nebraska Air National Guard decided to conduct the training on its own.

Western Air Defense Sector helps shape ABMS
September 21, 2020 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – A small Washington Air National Guard unit has become a key player for Air Force acquisitions in the evolution of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS)... MORE

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, adjutant general, Washington National Guard, second from left, and U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, commander, Washington Air National Guard, second from right, observe software demonstrations during an Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) onramp event at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Sept. 2-3, 2020.

Future New York Guard leaders learn lessons at Ticonderoga
September 21, 2020 — TICONDEROGA, NY – New York Army National Guard Soldiers selected as company commanders and first sergeants visited one of America’s most historic sites Sept. 16 to learn lessons from the past to apply... MORE

Re-enactors wearing 18th century uniforms demonstrate the firing of a cannon at Fort Ticonderoga in New York Sept. 16, 2020, for members of the New York Army National Guard. The visit was part of the Company Commander and First Sergeant Pre-Command Course of instruction Sept. 14-18. Three dozen Soldiers toured the historic battlefield of the American Revolution and French and Indian War to discover leadership lessons to prepare for their upcoming command tours.

Wisconsin Guard to surpass half-million COVID-19 tests
September 21, 2020 — MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin National Guard specimen collection teams will hit a milestone this week, topping 500,000 cumulative total COVID-19 tests gathered across the state.Mobile specimen collection... MORE

Citizen-Soldiers and Citizen-Airmen from the Wisconsin National Guard collect specimens for COVID-19 testing Sept. 1, 2020, at the Waukesha County Expo Center in Waukesha, Wis. The Wisconsin National Guard has multiple COVID-19 specimen collection teams operating throughout the state.

Sexual assault prevention training continues virtually amid COVID-19
September 21, 2020 — ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Guard Bureau’s Sexual Assault and Prevention Response office is holding its annual training for sexual assault response and victim advocate coordinators Sept. 21-23... MORE

The National Guard Bureau’s Sexual Assault and Prevention Response office will hold its annual training for sexual assault response and victim advocate coordinators in a virtual environment Sept. 21-23, 2020.

Maine Guard Airmen Exercise Rapid-Response Communications Skills

Louisiana Guard Hosts International Interrogation Competition to Build Readiness

Air Reserve Component Test Center Marks Milestone With F-35 Test Force at Eglin AFB

Texas Guard Members Bolster Border Patrol Efforts along Rio Grande

Washington Army Guard Soldiers Participate in Norwegian Foot March