Guard News - The National Guard

New York Soldiers, Airman Celebrate National Guard’s Birthday
December 13, 2024 — LATHAM, N.Y. - Two New York National Guard Soldiers and an Airman commemorated the National Guard’s 388th birthday at New York National Guard headquarters Dec. 13.Army Guard Master Sgt. Michael Schin,... MORE

Maj. Gen. Michel Natali, New York assistant adjutant general, and Airman Gabriel Geise, 18, Master Sgt. Michel Schin, 59, and Pvt. 1st Class Aliyah Billar, 17, mark the 388th anniversary of the National Guard's birthday Dec. 13, 2024, at New York National Guard headquarters in Latham.

National Guard Bureau Civilian Receives DOD CIO Award
December 13, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - A National Guard Bureau information technology specialist received the 2024 Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Award at the Pentagon Dec. 3. The award recognizes... MORE

Shawn Achziger, center, an information technology specialist with the National Guard Bureau, with U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, left, the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, and Leslie Beavers, the acting chief information officer with the Department of Defense, after receiving a 2024 Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Award during a ceremony at the Pentagon Dec. 3, 2024. Achzinger was recognized for migrating the National Guard from the obsolete Joint Information Exchange Environment system to the updated Common Operating Picture system, used primarily during emergency response operations.

New York Airmen Honored for Saving Lives of 2 Wingmen
December 12, 2024 — STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. – Two Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing were recognized for saving their fellow Airmen’s lives at a Dec. 8 ceremony.The 105th’s Top... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard Master Sgt. Roman Jeter, Staff Sgt. Timothy Horton, Capt. Sinead Kirnan and Master Sgt. Jaron Brown, Airmen with the 105th Airlift Wing, pose for a photo following a Henry W. Windels Wingman Award ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, New York, Dec. 8, 2024. Horton and Kirnan were recognized for saving the lives of Jeter and Brown.

Washington Guard Engages with Thai and Malaysian Partners
December 12, 2024 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Washington Air and Army National Guard noncommissioned officers visited Thailand and Malaysia Dec. 1-5 to strengthen military ties and share best practices.This... MORE

Senior Washington National Guard enlisted leaders participating in the State Partnership Program talk with students at the Noncommissioned Officer School, Hua Hin, Thailand, Dec. 3, 2024.

Alaska National Guard Fields Helicopter Engine Test Stand
December 12, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - The 176th Maintenance Squadron marked the fielding of a helicopter engine test stand, the first of its kind in the Air National Guard, during a Dec. 9... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Col. Joshua Armstrong, far left, 176th Wing commander, and Brig. Gen. Brian Kile, far right, Alaska Air National Guard commander, look on as, from center left to center right, Senior Master Sgt. Benjamin Devries, 176th MXS Accessories Flight chief, Senior Master Sgt. Troy Freeman, 176th MXS Propulsion Flight supervisor, and Col. Michael Cummings, 176th Maintenance Group commander, cut a ceremonial ribbon Dec. 9, 2024, to mark the fielding of the Propulsion Flight’s T700 Flexible Engine Diagnostic System at JBER. The test stand will save time and money in diagnosing HH-60G Pave Hawk engine faults.

South Carolina Guardsman Realizes Dream to Fly Helicopters
December 11, 2024 — COLUMBIA, S.C. - Seeing a military aircraft flying through the sky can make you feel a sense of awe. But for some, like Warrant Officer Alante Snell, it sparks something deeper — a calling.Snell grew... MORE

Warrant Officer Alante Snell serves his community in his civilian job as a state trooper and in the South Carolina Army National Guard as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot.

Maryland National Guard Hosts 250th Annual Pass in Review
December 11, 2024 — DUNDALK, Md. – The Maryland Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, commemorated its 250th anniversary with a Pass in Review Dec. 7 at the Dundalk Readiness Center. The historic... MORE

The Maryland Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment, commemorated its 250th anniversary with a Pass in Review Dec. 7, 2024, at the Dundalk Readiness Center. The historic ceremony celebrated the regiment’s legacy as one of the oldest and most distinguished units in the U.S. Army, tracing its roots back to the Baltimore Independent Cadets of 1774.

Louisiana Guard Conducts Disaster Response Training
December 11, 2024 — PERRY, Ga. – The Louisiana National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package conducted a training exercise in Georgia culminating in a... MORE

Louisiana Army National Guardsmen assigned to the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package check for contamination levels at a collapsed building at Guardian Centers of Georgia, Perry, Georgia, Dec. 3, 2024. The CERFP conducted a training exercise culminating in a National Guard Bureau evaluation Dec. 1–7.

Remains of World War II Airman Returned Home
December 10, 2024 — WRIGHTSTOWN, N.J. - New Jersey Army National Guard Soldiers carried the flag-draped coffin of a World War II Airman in a ceremony attended by family members, friends and state veteran organization... MORE

U.S. Army Honor Guard Soldiers with the New Jersey Army National Guard fold an American flag during the ceremony for U.S. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. William Scott at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, New Jersey, Dec. 9, 2024. Scott, a navigator on a B-24 Liberator bomber, was killed when his aircraft was shot down during Operation Tidal Wave over Ploiești, Romania, Aug. 1, 1943.

Michigan Guard Partner Liberia Starts NCO Pilot Course
December 10, 2024 — CAREYSBURG, Liberia – The Armed Forces of Liberia achieved a historic milestone by initiating a Noncommissioned Officer Academy at the AFL’s Armed Forces Training Center.Liberian NCO instructors are... MORE

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ravindra Wagh, assistant adjutant general of the Michigan National Guard, with Capt. John Willie, Liberian Coast Guard commander, at Liberian Coast Guard Headquarters, Bushrod Island, Liberia, Dec. 2, 2024. Michigan and Liberia have partnered for 15 years under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

Tennessee Guard Airmen Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
December 9, 2024 — KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Eleven 134th Air Refueling Wing Airmen were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Dec. 7 for their heroic actions during a critical mission defending Israel from a barrage of... MORE

Eleven Airmen from the 134th Air Refueling Wing receive the Distinguished Flying Cross on Dec. 7, 2024, at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Knoxville, Tennessee, for helping defend Israel from a massive missile and drone attack from Iran.

New York Airmen Bring Holiday Cheer to Hurricane Victims While Training
December 6, 2024 — STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. – Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing helped out Santa Claus by delivering over 4,000 toys earmarked for North Carolina kids whose... MORE

U.S. service members pose for a group photo after offloading toys on Marine Corps Air Station New River, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Dec. 3, 2024.

New York Air National Guard Honors President Martin Van Buren
December 6, 2024 — KINDERHOOK, New York—New York Air Guardsmen saluted the nation’s eighth president on Thursday, Dec. 5, as Brigadier General Gary Charlton, the assistant adjutant general, Air, placed a wreath from... MORE

New York Air National Guard Brigadier General Gary Charlton and Command Chief Master Sergeant Michael Hewson salute after the placing a wreath from the White House during the annual wreath laying ceremony marking the birthday of President Martin Van Buren in Kinderhook, New York, on Dec. 5, 2024.

Wisconsin Guard ’Maverick’ Battalion Mobilizes to Deploy
December 5, 2024 — TOMAH, Wis. - More than 60 Wisconsin National Guard Soldiers with the 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company were mobilized to active duty Nov. 30 during a... MORE

Wisconsin National Guard senior leaders join Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers at a deployment sendoff ceremony for the 732nd Combat Support Sustainment Battalion’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company Nov. 30, 2024, at Tomah High School in Tomah, Wisconsin. Following pre-mobilization training, the Guardsmen will deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of operations to synchronize and control logistics operations supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

Robot Boosts Louisiana Guard Civil Support Team Readiness
December 4, 2024 — NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard’s 62nd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team has a new robot system, enhancing its ability to gather vital information from potentially hazardous... MORE

Sgt. Nicolas Cullop, 62nd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team, Louisiana National Guard, operates the Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II, an advanced unmanned ground vehicle equipped with specialized chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear equipment. The robotic system can gather information from potentially hazardous environments.

Guard Members Bring Unique Capabilities to Cybersecurity
December 4, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Guard brings unique capabilities to the cyber domain and has helped develop new applications that allow greater network connectivity while maintaining cybersecurity,... MORE

Soldiers assigned to the National Guard Bureau take part in a Cybersecurity Awareness Month event at the Herbert R. Temple Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington Hall Station, in Arlington, Virginia, in October. The Guard brings a variety of skill sets to the cyber field and developed the Bring Your Own Device application, which allows Soldiers and Airmen to connect personal phones, tablets and other devices to the Defense Department network. The app was approved Army- and Air Force-wide earlier this year after more than two years of development and testing.

New York National Guardsmen Help Get Holiday Trees to Troops
December 3, 2024 — BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. – Seven New York Army National Guard Soldiers joined local veterans to load up 125 Christmas trees donated to military bases around the country at Ellms Tree Farm in Ballston Spa... MORE

New York Army National Guard Spc. Matt Clark lifts a donated Christmas tree from retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bob Van Pelt during the annual Trees for Troops loadout at Ellms Tree Farm in Ballston Spa, New York, Dec. 2, 2024. Tree farmers from New York’s capital and Saratoga regions donated 125 trees to be sent to military bases for the holidays.

NORAD and USNORTHCOM Leaders Visit Western Air Defense Sector
December 3, 2024 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Chief Master Sgt. John Storms, NORAD and USNORTHCOM Command... MORE

Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, and Chief Master Sgt. John Storms, NORAD and USNORTHCOM Command senior enlisted leader, are briefed on the Western Air Defense Sector’s Agile Operations Center air picture management section by Royal Canadian Air Force Sgt. Guillaume Thibault at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., Nov. 18, 2024.

California Army Guard Delivers Supplies to Wilderness Site
December 3, 2024 — SONORA, Calif. - When venturing out in the Sierra Nevada wilderness, the hum of a helicopter is the last sound you expect to hear while navigating the pristine, yet rugged, terrain.But when supplies... MORE

California Army National Guard Soldiers prepare to fly after sling-loading timber that will be used to conserve a cultural site in the Stanislaus National Forest Oct. 30, 2024. The Stanislaus collaborated with the 1-126th Aviation Regiment, Cal Guard, to deliver critical supplies to remote forest areas near Cooper Meadow in the Emigrant Wilderness.

NGB Leaders Visit ’Top-notch’ Guardsmen in New Hampshire
November 29, 2024 — PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – The National Guard Bureau’s top leaders visited the New Hampshire National Guard Nov. 26 to better understand its people, missions and capabilities.Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus,... MORE

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, and Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, visit New Hampshire National Guardsmen at Pease Air National Guard Base, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Nov. 26, 2024.