Guard News - The National Guard

Guard Chief Visits Pennsylvania Guard, Aviation Training Site
April 23, 2024 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, met with Pennsylvania National Guard leaders and members of the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, met with Pennsylvania National Guard leaders and members of the Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site during a visit to Fort Indiantown Gap April 22, 2024.

Kentucky, Tennessee Win Regional Best Warrior Competition
April 23, 2024 — GREENVILLE, Ky. – Soldiers from Kentucky and Tennessee earned top honors in the 2024 Army National Guard Region III Best Warrior Competition April 14-19.Hosted by the Kentucky National Guard, the... MORE

Tennessee National Guard Spc. Noah Green, left, and U.S. Army Sgt. Robert Buck with the Kentucky National Guard won the 2024 Region III Best Warrior Competition at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Kentucky, April 19, 2024. Nineteen competitors from 10 states and territories competed for the titles of Soldier and NCO of the Year for Region III.

Ohio Guard Air Control Squadron Trains with NATO Partners
April 23, 2024 — BLUE ASH, Ohio - Airmen assigned to the 178th Wing’s 123rd Air Control Squadron concluded a two-week combined training exercise at the Blue Ash Air National Guard Station alongside seven service... MORE

Airmen assigned to the 123rd Air Control Squadron pose for a portrait alongside service members from Lithuania and Hungary during a joint training exercise March 22, 2024, in Blue Ash, Ohio. The training included air battle management, ground control intercept, large-force employment and air-to-air combat beyond visual range.

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.

New York Army Guard Chaplains Train with African Counterparts
April 23, 2024 — LUSAKA, Zambia - The New York National Guard’s state chaplain and deputy state chaplain shared experiences and ideas with military chaplains from five African militaries in Lusaka, the capital of the... MORE

New York Army National Guard Chaplain (Col.) Douglas Brock, the state chaplain for the New York National Guard, poses with Zambian Chaplain Capt. P. Kopakopa during a meeting of African and American chaplains in Lusaka, Zambia, April 8, 2024. The Zambian Defence Force invited Brock, New York Army National Guard Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Timothy Miller and other American chaplains to a five-day workshop for African military chaplains in Lusaka.

Idaho Guard, Firefighters Practice Water Hoist Rescues
April 23, 2024 — BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group and the Boise Fire Department’s Swiftwater Dive Team practiced hoist rescues from the water during exercises April 18-19 at a Boise... MORE

The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group and the Boise Fire Department’s Swiftwater Dive Team practiced hoist rescues from the water using UH-60 Black Hawk and the UH-72A Lakota helicopters, April 18-19, 2024.

New York National Guard Sharpens Disaster Readiness Skills
April 23, 2024 — CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, N.Y. - Soldiers from the New York National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division honed their command and control capabilities as the Region II Homeland Response Force April 15-19 at... MORE

U.S. Army Soldiers from the New York National Guard’s 827th Engineer Company, 104th Military Police Battalion, lower a simulated casualty from rubble during a training exercise April 17, 2024. Led by personnel from the 42nd Infantry Division making up the Region II Homeland Response Force, the week-long exercise brought together elements from across the New York 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.