Guard News - The National Guard

Arizona National Guard’s Task Force SAFE Strengthens Border Security
May 13, 2025 — NOGALES, Ariz. — In an effort to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, Arizona National Guard members with Task Force SAFE — Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic — support U.S... MORE

U.S. Soldiers with the Arizona Army National Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents inspect a cooler of fish for illegal drugs or other contraband items at the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, April 30, 2025.

Idaho Guard Airmen Push Limits in Joint Field Training
May 13, 2025 — IDAHO CITY, IDAHO – The sounds of rotor blades thumped overhead as the rotor wash of a UH-60 Black Hawk kicked up rocks and debris that slammed into the Airmen waiting during a simulated live... MORE

Idaho Air National Guard, trained with Idaho Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawks during a three-day field training exercise, including helicopter medical evacuation.

Pennsylvania Guard Competes in Governor’s Twenty Marksmanship Competition
May 13, 2025 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – More than 100 Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen competed in the annual Governor’s Twenty marksmanship competition here May 9-10.The event, in which 103 service... MORE

A total of 103 Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers and Airmen competed in the annual Governor's Twenty marksmanship competition May 9 to 10, 2025 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. They earn the right to wear the coveted Governor’s Twenty tab on the left shoulder of the uniform, is a state-level National Guard award that is presented every year and is reflected on a service members’ official personnel record. It is recognized by both the Army and Air Force. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Zane Craig)

Missouri Guard Strengthens Ties with Panama Through Disaster Response Exchange
May 13, 2025 — PANAMA CITY - Six members of the Missouri National Guard and professionals from Panama shared expertise and best practices during a three-day expert exchange May 6-8.The Missouri National Guard's... MORE

Master Sgt. Chris Wertz, Missouri National Guard State Partnership Program NCO, speaks to members of the Panamanian National Police as 2nd Lt. Minor Perez, a MONG chaplain candidate, translates in Panama City, Panama, May 8, 2025.

N.Y. National Guard Aircrews Train with Forest Rangers to Prep for Wildfires
May 12, 2025 — SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. - New York Army National Guard helicopter crews partnered May 8 with state Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers to hone their firefighting skills along the... MORE

New York Army National Guard aircrews assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment, prepare New York State Forest Rangers for familiarization training with water buckets for aerial firefighting in Schuylerville, New York, May 8, 2025.

Oklahoma Air Guard Airmen Maneuver Through TRADEWINDS25
May 12, 2025 — TETERON BAY, Trinidad – Multi-capable Airmen assigned to the 137th Special Operations Wing mission sustainment team of the Oklahoma Air National Guard strengthened critical self-sustaining skills and... MORE

One of the 137th Special Operations Wing mission sustainment team’s forward operating site sits near a flightline during TRADEWINDS 25 (TW25), Trinidad and Tobago, April 25, 2025.

Idaho Army National Guard Hosts Region VI Best Warrior Competition
May 12, 2025 — GOWEN FIELD, Idaho – The Idaho National Guard hosted the Region VI Best Warrior Competition May 4-9 at Gowen Field, challenging participants with six days of physically and mentally demanding events... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Edward Snyder from the North Dakota Army National Guard participates in the Combat Traning Scenario event of the 2025 Best Warrior Competition at the Orchard Combat Training Center, Boise, ID on May 07, 2025.

Canine Callie, DOD’s Only Search-and-Rescue Dog, Retires from Service
May 12, 2025 — LOUISVILLE, Ky. – She deployed six times in support of rescue missions across the United States, searching for victims trapped in the wake of floods, tornadoes, an avalanche, a collapsed coal mine... MORE

Callie, the only certified search-and-rescue dog in the Department of Defense, is ready for some well-earned play time at the conclusion of her retirement ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Jan. 24, 2025. Over the course of more than six years with the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, Callie served on numerous exercises and six real-world deployments, searching for survivors in the aftermath of floods, tornadoes, an avalanche, a collapsed coal mine tipple and multiple demolished buildings. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Maryland, Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers Emerge as Region II’s Best Warriors
May 9, 2025 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Sgt. Miles Crawford and Spc. Robert Ruiz-Rhoades will advance to the 2025 Army National Best Warrior Competition after winning the Region II competition here May... MORE

Spc. Robert Ruiz-Rhoades, left, of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Sgt. Miles Crawford, right, of the Maryland National Guard were named the winners of the Region II Best Warrior Competition at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, May 5-9, 2025. (U.S. Army National guard photo illustration by Spc. Skylin Simpson)

National Guard Spouse Highlights Strength of Family Support During Maine Visit
May 9, 2025 — AUGUSTA, Maine – Karen Raines, spouse of Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, engaged with Maine Army and Air National Guard units here during a visit... MORE

Karen Raines, spouse of Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, meets with family‑readiness volunteers at Joint Force Headquarters ‑ Maine, April 30, 2025.

Virginia National Guard Team Trains for Disaster Response
May 9, 2025 — FORT BARFOOT, Va. – Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen conducted a collective training exercise responding to a simulated mass casualty radiological event at Fort Barfoot April 28 - May... MORE

34th CERFP conducts collective training exercise

D.C. Air Guard Makes Improvements at Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy
May 9, 2025 — LAUREL, Md. — D.C. National Guard Airmen assigned to the 113th Wing Civil Engineer Squadron strengthened their skills while supporting the Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy (CGYCA). The... MORE

Members of the D.C. Air National Guard’s 113th Wing Civil Engineer Squadron (CES) conduct HVAC diagnostics and repair, LED lighting installation, plumbing fixture placement, and electrical rewiring at the Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy (CGYCA), in Laurel, MD, on April 12, 2025.

Maine Guard Airmen Exercise Rapid-Response Communications Skills
May 8, 2025 — GREAT POND, Maine – The Maine Air National Guard’s 265th Combat Communications Squadron, based out of South Portland, Maine, recently completed a one-week exercise in which they sharpened their... MORE

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 265th Combat Communications Squadron collaborate to establish communications via the Ground Antenna Transmit & Recieve (GATR) inflatable antenna April 29th, 2025 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Louisiana Guard Hosts International Interrogation Competition to Build Readiness
May 8, 2025 — PINEVILLE, La. – Twenty-two Human Intelligence Collector teams from U.S. and allied forces recently competed in the fourth annual Army interrogation competition, Tranquil Storm.The multi-component,... MORE

Competitors in the fourth annual Army interrogation competition, “Tranquil Storm,” conduct tactical interrogations in the Detainee Holding Area at Louisiana National Guard Training Center Pineville, April 30.

Air Reserve Component Test Center Marks Milestone With F-35 Test Force at Eglin AFB
May 8, 2025 — EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center established its first-ever F-35 Combined Test Force at Eglin Air Force Base on May 1. This major milestone... MORE

Air Force leaders cut a ribbon during a ceremony.

Texas Guard Members Bolster Border Patrol Efforts along Rio Grande
May 7, 2025 — ROMA, Texas – A steady breeze rolled across a closed bridge crossing the Rio Grande, offering relief from the late April heat. Texas Army National Guard Soldiers stood alongside U.S. Border Patrol... MORE

A U.S. Soldier with the Texas Army National Guard monitors activity along the Rio Grande during a patrol near Roma, Texas, April 25, 2025.

Washington Army Guard Soldiers Participate in Norwegian Foot March
May 7, 2025 — ELLENSBURG, Wash. - It’s 8 p.m. at the John Wayne Trailhead near the Ellensburg Rodeo Grounds. After a three-hour drive through traffic, Lt. Col. Rob Goertzen, commander of the 341st Military... MORE

Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment pose with Col. Josh Barrow, commander, 96th Troop Command, following the 5th annual Central Washington University Army Reserve Officer Training Corp.

Florida National Guard Conducts Operation Mustang
May 7, 2025 — GAINESVILLE, Fla. — In preparation for its National Training Center (NTC) rotation in July, Soldiers assigned to the Florida National Guard’s 256th Medical Company Area Support (MCAS) recently... MORE

Soldiers with the Florida National Guard's 256th Medical Company Area Support stage equipment in preparation for Operation Mustang in Gainesville, Fla., May 1, 2025.

Oregon National Guard Soldiers Work to Bring Home Missing Vietnam War Service Member
May 7, 2025 — QUẢNG TRỊ, Vietnam - “I will never leave a fallen comrade.” That final line of the U.S. Army’s Warrior Ethos is a promise that all service members will find their way back to American soil.Oregon... MORE

Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Nate Brushe, a recovery noncommissioned officer, wet-screens material during a Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) recovery mission in Vietnam, April 11, 2025.

In Maine, Raines Highlights National Guard Readiness, Family Support and Global Reach
May 7, 2025 — BANGOR, Maine — More than 2,600 Army and Air National Guardsmen stand ready to answer the call across Maine’s rugged 3,500-mile coastline and vast terrain—trained, equipped and prepared to defend the... MORE

Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the Chief, National Guard Bureau engages with Army and Air National Guardsmen across Maine, April 30–May 5, 2025, visiting units from Bangor to South Portland to reinforce mission readiness, celebrate community partnerships, and highlight the critical role of small states in the National Guard’s global mission.