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U.S. Forest Service requests increase in MAFFS operations
August 13, 2012
An aircrew from the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing drop fire retardant from a C130-H Hercules aircraft equipped with Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems while assisting with suppression of the Squirrel Creek wildfire about 70 miles east of Cheyenne, Wyo., July 6. In response to increased fire activity in the western United States aircrews from the 153rd Airlift Wing operating MAFFS-equipped C-130s are set to resume operations Tuesday.

Alabama Army National Guard medics' evacuation skills honed during Vibrant Response 13
August 13, 2012
Medics from the Alabama Army National Guard's 129th Area Support Medical Company, strap mannequins and role-players to litters and evacuate them from a building at Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex, Ind. "It's always important for medics to practice mass causality incidents because those are usually the most stressful and resource intensive," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Pike, a platoon sergeant with the 129th ASMC. The Soldiers have been honing their skills while participating in Vibrant Response 13, a major field training exercise conducted by U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Army North.

DC Army National Guard captain brings home gold in international military skills competition
August 13, 2012
Army Capt. Leala McCollum, a pilot with the District of Columbia Army National Guard's 121st Medical Company (Air Ambulance) performs first aid on a patient during the casualty care portion of the NATO Military Skills Pentathlon in Hoevelte, Denmark. McCollum helped her team, made of members from militaries throughout the world, earn a gold medal in the competition.

Family Matters Blog: Heroes program helps families travel
August 10, 2012
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New Hampshire Air Guard members participate in all-female law enforcement exchange with El Salvador
August 10, 2012
1st Lt. Carolina Marenco of the Salvadoran army and Senior Airman Heather Gagnon of the New Hampshire National Guard's 157th Security Forces Squadron, demonstrates a self defense technique during a military police exercise in Lourdes, El Salvador on Aug. 7, 2012.

Botswana: Illinois National Guard, Botswana Defense Force combine efforts on engineering projects
August 10, 2012
Botswana Defense Force engineers and engineers from the Illinois National Guard's 631st Engineer Support Company, improve an existing pond used for watering livestock and other agricultural needs, in a small village near Mkankake Range. The engineers are participating in Southern Accord 2012, an annual combined, joint exercise which brings together U.S. military and BDF to conduct various operations to enhance military capabilities and interoperability. (Army National Guard photo by

Army National Guard announces Best Warrior Competition winners
August 10, 2012
Army Sgt. Matthew Howard, an artillery crew member with Battery C, 2nd Battalion, 142nd Fires Brigade, Arkansas Army National Guard, exits a low-crawl tube, one of the obstacles during the stress shoot event, at Fort Benning, Ga. July 31, 2012 - during the Army National Guard's 2012 Best Warrior Competition. Howard would go on to be named the top noncommissioned officer for the competition, earning a spot to compete at the Department of the Army competition later this year.

North Carolina Air National Guard returns to MAFFS mission
August 10, 2012
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Internet scam targets Illinois National Guard spouses
August 9, 2012
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Louisiana Guard welcomes back youth science program
August 9, 2012
New Orleans resident Jennifer Deblieux, deputy director of STARBASE, demonstrates the flight simulator to Army Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, and St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann following a ribbon cutting ceremony welcoming back the youth-science program STARBASE at Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, Aug. 8, 2012. Introduced in Orleans Parish in 1999, the Louisiana program has since served more than 9,300 students and, as a result of Hurricane Katrina, was relocated to Pineville in Rapides Parish.

Alabama Guard member chosen to entertain troops in international "Soldier’s Show"
August 9, 2012
Alabama National Guard Lt. Daniel Monplaisir, S-1 for the 731st Combat Service Support Battalion, Tallassee, Ala., entertains troops in international Soldier’s Show.

Afghanistan: National Guard members with 'Task Force Mad Dog’ leave their mark in Afghanistan
August 9, 2012
South Dakota Army National Guard Spc. Kyle Griffith of the 842nd Horizontal Construction Company fills barricades at Combat Outpost Giro. Giro was so isolated from the rest of the project sites it had to be resupplied by helicopter.

Kuwait: Michigan National Guard Transportation Company conducts drivers training for units in Kuwait
August 9, 2012
Members of the Michigan National Guard's 1462nd Transportation Company recently trained Soldiers from 3rd Infantry Division and Tennessee Army National Guard’s 230th Engineer Battalion, on the M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter, or HET, during an eight-day, 80-hour course held at Camp Arifjan.

Panetta: National Guard, Reserve key to defense strategy
August 9, 2012
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta addresses National Guard leaders at the National Guard's 2011 Joint Senior Leadership Conference at National Harbor, Md., on Nov. 8, 2011.

Florida Air Guard member becomes first Guard F-35 instructor pilot
August 9, 2012
Air National Guard Maj. Jay Spohn performs pre-flight tasks in an F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter in July during preparations to become the Guard’s first F-35 instructor pilot. He finished his last of six flights Aug. 3, 2012 to become a part of aviation history. Spohn is a Florida National Guard member and is embedded in the 33d Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base where he is responsible for training up the fighter pilots who will fly the fifth-generation F-35 and will carry the U.S. Air Force into the next 50 years of air superiority.

Afghanistan: Georgia Guard members logistically running the Kabul Base Cluster behind the scenes
August 8, 2012
Army Sgt. 1st Class Maurice E. Stewart, the noncommissioned officer in charge of Camp Black Horse stops by one of the locally run stores on camp to make sure that everything is going ok.

MEDLITE 12: Air Guard members teach aeromedical evacuation principles to Botswana defense force
August 8, 2012
Air National Guard Lt. Col. June Oldman speaks to members of the Botswana defense force prior to classroom instruction at Thebephatswa Air Base, Botswana, for the start of MEDLITE 12, Aug. 6, 2012. MEDLITE 12 is a joint exercise between U.S. and Botswana aimed to establish and develop military interoperability, regional partnership and to synchronize capacity-building. Oldman is the MEDLITE 12 mission director.

Williams assumes leadership of the Air National Guard Readiness Center
August 8, 2012
Air Force Brig. Gen. R. Scott Williams, the commander of the Air National Guard Readiness Center, discusses his goals during an assumption of command ceremony of the ANGRC from Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, the director of the ANG, Aug. 7, 2012. The ANGRC ensures ANG field units are properly resourced to train and equip in support of the state and federal missions across the entire spectrum of military operations and provide support sustaining ANG Airmen throughout their careers.

Air Force CSA travel card transitions to GTC
August 8, 2012
The Air Force Banking Office will start converting approximately 300,000 controlled spend account cards into government travel cards Aug. 7, 2012. For most Airmen, the process will be automatic, and they can continue to use their blue cards. However, those Airmen who are identified as failing to meet creditworthiness requirements will need to make arrangements with their agency program coordinator.

Guam National Guard members build on State Partnership with Philippines
August 7, 2012
Army National Guard Spc. Melissa Meno, from the Guam Army Guard Medical Detachment, evaluates soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines - Philippine Army during a training exercise, following instruction they received on Combat Lifesaver Course refresher and Tactical Combat Casualty Care.