Guard News - The National Guard

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.

Georgia's 165th Airlift Wing Hosts Response Exercise TOXIC PEACH 2025
May 6, 2025 — SAVANNAH, Ga. — About 150 joint service military members, including Airmen and Soldiers from more than 36 different units and seven major commands, recently conducted exercise Toxic Peach. The April... MORE

A U.S. Air Force aircrew flight equipment specialist participates in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) decontamination training during exercise Toxic Peach at the 165th Airlift Wing, Savannah Air National Guard Base, Georgia, April 29, 2025.

Oregon National Guard Soldiers Welcome Veterans Home from Honor Flight
May 6, 2025 — MEDFORD, Ore. – Soldiers from the Oregon Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment formed up at the Medford Airport on May 4 to welcome home veterans returning from an Honor Flight... MORE

A Vietnam veteran renders a salute from his wheelchair as he passes through the honor corridor at the Medford Airport, Medford, Ore., May 4, 2025. Oregon Army National Guard soldiers and Patriot Guard Riders formed the corridor to welcome veterans returning from an Honor Flight trip to Washington, D.C., where they visited military memorials honoring their service.

Puerto Rico Air Guard Tests Flexible Communications in Evaluation
May 6, 2025 — PUNTA SALINAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Puerto Rico — U.S. Airmen assigned to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard’s 156th Combat Communications Squadron deployed two Flexible Communication Packages... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Rafaela Laguillo, a radio transmissions journeyman with the 156th Combat Communications Squadron, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, sets-up a GATOR ball antenna during a Full Operating Capability (FOC) evaluation at Punta Salinas Air National Guard Station, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, April 24, 2025. A team of approximately 25 Airmen assigned to the 156th CBCS were evaluated on their level of proficiency in providing NIPR, SIPR, and VOIP services in an expeditionary setting as part of the FOC certification process. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Victoria Jewett)

Ohio Airman Helps to Set the Theater in Deployment for Training
May 5, 2025 — ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam – The 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) Squadron based out of Camp Perry and its detachment in Mansfield, Ohio, is on... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Braylon McCoy, pavements and heavy equipment operator assigned to the 200th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer (RED HORSE) Squadron Detachment, Mansfield, Ohio, operates heavy equipment used in brush removal at Northwest Field, Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, April 4, 2025.

Pennsylvania Guard Medical Unit Gains Vital Experience During Field Exercise
May 5, 2025 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers with the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, trained on setting up an aid station during a May 2-3 field... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Caitlyn Morrison, left, and Spc. Maria Diaz, combat medics with the 108th Medical Company Area Support, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania National Guard practice medical skills during an exercise at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, May 3, 2025.

New Jersey, New York Officer Candidates Train with Albanian, Kosovar Cadets
May 5, 2025 — RRETH-GRETH, Albania – Officer candidates from the New Jersey and New York Army National Guard traveled to Albania for the fifth consecutive year to conduct a field training exercise with cadets from... MORE

New Jersey and New York Officer Candidates conduct Situational Tactical Exercise lanes with cadets from Albania and Kosovo.

California Air National Guard Hosts Reaper Smoke 2025
May 5, 2025 — MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. — More than 200 active component, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper Airmen participated in Exercise Reaper Smoke 2025 last week in Southern... MORE

U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Grant Geschwentner, 17th Attack Squadron from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., participates in Reaper Smoke, an MQ-9 Reaper enterprise-wide competition that highlights the skills and advancements within the community, March Air Reserve Base, Calif., April 23, 2025.

Virginia Guard Soldiers, Tajikistan Conduct Battle Exchange Training
May 5, 2025 — DUSHANBE, Tajikistan – Four Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers recently conducted a close-quarters battle exchange training with members of the Tajik military. The engagement was conducted April... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conduct mountain warfare exchange in Tajikistan