Guard News - The National Guard

Soldier Teaches Sign Language to Deployed Troops
April 22, 2024 — UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - In the heart of the U.S. Central Command area of operations, where the focus is often on mission readiness and combat preparedness, one service member has taken a unique... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Ashley Brown, a geospatial intelligence imagery analyst assigned to Alpha Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 34th Infantry Division, volunteers to teach deployed service members American Sign Language, during a deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, April 7, 2024. Brown learned ASL growing up as a child of deaf adults and enjoys teaching about deaf history, culture and sign language.

California Air Guard 146th Maintenance Group Learns New Skill
April 22, 2024 — VOLK FIELD, Wis. - On a chilly, overcast morning that promised rain in the very northern state of Wisconsin, 28 U.S. Airmen assigned to the 146th Maintenance Group of the Air National Guard in... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 146th Maintenance Group, 146th Airlift Wing, based on Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, practice executing the fundamentals of Crash Damaged and Disabled Aircraft Recovery on Volk Field in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, April 16-18, 2024. The CDDAR certified members and augmentees used airbags, forklifts and cranes to raise, pull and stabilize aircraft that simulated different scenarios of downed airplanes.

Virginia Guard CST, State Police Team Up for Training Exercise
April 22, 2024 — BLACKSTONE, Va. - Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the 34th Civil Support Team trained with Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation bomb technicians March 19-21... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the 34th Civil Support Team and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation bomb technicians conduct a training exercise March 19, 2024, at the Blackstone Readiness Center in Blackstone, Virginia. CST and VSP elements worked to identify possible explosives hazards while maintaining crime scene integrity.

Louisiana National Guard Engineers Prepare for Deployment
April 20, 2024 — NEW ORLEANS - More than 40 Louisiana Army National Guard 1021st Engineer Vertical Construction Company Soldiers are conducting pre-mobilization training at the Louisiana National Guard Training Center... MORE

Louisiana National Guard Soldiers of the 1021st Engineer Vertical Construction Company, 205th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, conduct pre-mobilization training at the Louisiana National Guard Training Center in Pineville. Soldiers are preparing for deployment to the Central Command area of responsibility to support Operations Inherent Resolve, Freedom Sentinel and Spartan Shield.

168th Wing Enables Fighter Support over Pacific for Agile Reaper
April 19, 2024 — ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Airmen from the 168th Wing supported the Agile Reaper exercise, providing combat refueling to 3rd Air Expeditionary Wing F-22 Raptors and airlift for cargo and... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Anthony Accardi, 168th Logistics Readiness Squadron, loads equipment on an Alaska Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker with the help of Tech. Sgt. Melina Arciniega, a boom operator, 168th Operations Group, while preparing to deploy from Eielson Air Force Base to Exercise Agile Reaper 24-1 at Andersen AFB, Guam.

Pennsylvania National Guard Members Deploy to Africa
April 19, 2024 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - U.S. Soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team recently deployed to Africa to support Special Operations Command Africa.Task Force... MORE

Soldiers with Task Force Iroquois train for deployment to Africa to support Special Operations Command Africa March 5, 2024, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The 14 Soldiers, mostly with the 328th Brigade Support Battalion, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, put in many weeks of rigorous training since January to prepare for their yearlong deployment.

Wisconsin Air Guard Trains with Papua New Guinea Partners
April 19, 2024 — PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - Wisconsin Air National Guard members from the 128th Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron and the 115th Fighter Wing Security Forces Squadron trained alongside... MORE

Wisconsin National Guard Airmen with the 128th Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron and the 115th Fighter Wing Security Forces Squadron trained in Papua New Guinea March 17-22 with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as part of the State Partnership Program. The Airmen trained PNGDF military police and other service members in crowd control, compliance techniques and physical and electronic security.

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.

Determined Guam Guardsman Earns Blade Runner Award
April 17, 2024 — BARRIGADA, Guam – Guam National Guard Capt. Greg May was on his last day at Maneuver Captain’s Career Course when a National Guard Bureau liaison spoke to the class. “If you’re in the National Guard... MORE

U.S. Army Capt. Greg May of the Guam National Guard displays his recently earned Pathfinder Badge at Joint Force Headquarters Guam April 2, 2024. May volunteered for Pathfinder School with two days' notice and, despite a series of retests, beat the odds and earned the honorary title of "Blade Runner."

West Virginia Guard Expands International Partnerships
April 16, 2024 — CHARLESTON, W. Va. - West Virginia National Guard leaders traveled to Peru and Qatar to build and expand international partnerships through the State Partnership Program.The West Virginia National... MORE

Maj. Gen. Bill Crane, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, laughs with Gen. Orestes Vargas, Peruvian Army chief of staff, in Lima, Peru, in late March 2024. The West Virginia Guard partners with Peru, Qatar and Gabon via the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

Virginia Guardsman Earns Expert Soldier Badge
April 16, 2024 — RICHMOND, Va. - Maj. Josh Favaro, executive officer of the Virginia National Guard’s 229th Brigade Engineering Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, earned the Expert Soldier Badge March... MORE

Maj. Josh Favaro, executive officer of the Virginia National Guard’s 229th Brigade Engineering Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, receives the Expert Soldier Badge from Sgt. Maj. Justin Walkup, the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team operations sergeant major, March 15, 2024, at Fort Walker, Virginia.

Michigan Guard Military Police Soldiers end Guantanamo Mission
April 15, 2024 — LANSING, Mich. – The water spray arch of two Detroit Metro Airport firetrucks marked the homecoming of 62 Michigan National Guard Citizen-Soldiers with the 177th Military Police Brigade following... MORE

Members of Higher Headquarters Company 117th Military Police Brigade, Michigan National Guard, deplane at the unit’s welcome home ceremony from a deployment to support Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay in the Southern Command Area of Responsibility, Detroit, Mich, April 9, 2024.

New Georgia Army Guard Soldiers say ‘Send Me’ Overseas
April 15, 2024 — FORT STEWART, Ga. - On April 13, 194 new Soldiers joined the Georgia Army National Guard during a battle handoff ceremony that followed basic and military occupational specialty training. Most will... MORE

Pfc. Cassandra Vazquez receives an Army Achievement Medal from the Georgia Army National Guard command team of Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson and Command Sgt. Maj. John Ballenger during a battle handoff ceremony April 13, 2024, in Fort Stewart, Ga.

Alaska Air National Guard Helps 3 Alaskans During 2 Missions
April 15, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guardsmen evacuated a mother and premature baby and rescued an injured snowmachiner in two missions at remote locations across Alaska... MORE

A 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II refuels a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk during training over Alaska Jan. 11, 2021. A 210th RQS Pave Hawk carried out two medical evacuation missions April 4-5, 2024, one of them with a 211th RQS HC-130 and both with 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angels.

Pennsylvania Guard WMD Civil Support Team Completes Exercise
April 12, 2024 — BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard’s 3rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team conducted a training exercise April 11 to validate its proficiency. In the exercise scenario,... MORE

Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 3rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team conducted a training proficiency exercise April 11, 2024, at Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The team was evaluated by a U.S. Army North team.

Maryland Guard, Bosnia and Herzegovina Conduct JTAC Training
April 12, 2024 — WARREN GROVE, N.J. - Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina participated in their first live-fire training exercise with state partner the Maryland National... MORE

Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marine Forces Reserve, and Maryland National Guard pose for a photo during Deliberate Response '24 at Warren Grove Range, New Jersey, April 6, 2024. The exercise demonstrated the partnership between the Maryland National Guard and the AFBiH through the State Partnership Program.

Finnish Air Force Commander Meets Virginia Guard Leaders
April 12, 2024 — HAMPTON, Va. - Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, commander of the Finnish Air Force, met with Virginia National Guard leaders April 8 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the adjutant... MORE

Finnish Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, commander of the Finnish Air Force, meets with Virginia National Guard leaders April 8, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia. The VNG enjoys an enduring relationship with Finland that includes military training exchanges between Finnish Defence Forces and VNG Soldiers and Airmen.

South Carolina National Guard Airmen Return From Deployment
April 12, 2024 — MCENTIRE JOINT NATIONAL GUARD BASE, S.C. - Airmen assigned to the 169th Fighter Wing returned to South Carolina April 10, ending a six-month deployment to U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility... MORE

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 169th Fighter Wing, South Carolina Air National Guard, are greeted by family and wing personnel as they return from a six-month deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility April 10, 2024. Approximately 150 Swamp Fox Airmen deployed in support of 9th Air Force (Air Forces Central) to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, the unit’s first deployment as an expeditionary air base team under the new Air Force Force Generation model.

Army, Air Force Team up to Load Helicopters at Shaw AFB
April 11, 2024 — SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. - U.S. Army and Air Force units worked together to load two U.S. Army AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters onto a C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft at Shaw Air Force Base March... MORE

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 20th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., and the 337th Airlift Squadron from Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass., and U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 1-151st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, load an AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter onto a C-5M Super Galaxy at Shaw AFB, March 22, 2024. The two-day process marked the first time U.S. Army AH-64Es were loaded into a C-5M at Shaw AFB.

New York Air Guard Members Recognized for Lifesaving Actions
April 11, 2024 — SYRACUSE, N.Y. - New York Air National Guard Staff Sgts. Colin Kistner and Miguel Rodriguez Peraza were honored for reviving a heart attack victim.Kistner was awarded the Air and Space Commendation... MORE

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Colin Kistner is presented with the 174th Attack Wing Diamond Sharp Award by Master Sgt. Robert Hood, first sergeant of the 174th Operations Support Squadron, March 8, 2024, at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York.