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First Army National Guard units selected as security advisor teams begin training, prepare for Afghanistan deployment
August 17, 2012
Army Staff Sgt. Trammelle Gibson, a medic with 2nd Battalion, 351st Regiment, 158th Infantry Brigade, goes over medical tasks with Hawaii Army National Guard Soldiers who are part of a Security Forces Advise and Assistance Team training at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, Miss., in preparation for deployment to Afghanistan. Soldiers from the Hawaii Army Guard and the Texas Army National Guard are the first from within the Army National Guard to deploy as part of an SFA AT.
Arizona Army National Guard aviators assist with wildfire suppression
August 17, 2012
Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment use two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to fill Bambi buckets during wildfire suppression efforts in Tonto National Forest, Ariz., Aug. 14, 2012. The aircrews assisted the state and national forestry divisions with battling the Charley Fire near Bartlett Lake and Mistake Peak Fire near Roosevelt Lake throughout the week.
Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers assist local law enforcement in one of largest marijuana busts in Colorado
August 17, 2012
Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers use a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to help move an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 marijuana plants -- nearly $15 million street value -- from two remote areas near Rye, Colo., Aug. 15, 2012. Members of the Colorado National Guard Joint Counter-Drug Task Force's Drug Interdiction section were called to assist the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office move the plants, which were growing in steep terrain that's impassible by motor vehicle. The operation is one of the largest marijuana busts in Colorado.
Botswana: Illinois Army National Guard Soldier learns culinary skills from Botswana Defense Force chefs
August 16, 2012
Spc. Lenette Tidwell, an administrative specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 405th Brigade Support Battalion and Botswana Defense Force Lance Cpl. Baone Thipe, a chef with the BDF, chop potatoes together Aug. 12 at Thebephatshwa Air Base, Botswana. The BDF chefs taught Tidwell how to cook BDF-style as they prepared a a meal during Southern Accord 2012, a combined, joint exercise promoting collaboration and partnership between the two nations' militaries.
Germany: Wyoming Air National Guard engineers tackle construction projects at NATO School
August 16, 2012
Airman 1st Class Jeremiah Voyles, with the Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Civil Engineer Squadron, prepares to put rebar in place Aug. 13, 2012 while working on a construction project at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. The rebar provides strength to the concrete poured. Airmen from the 153rd CES are putting their skills to work as they work on various construction projects throughout the school grounds.
California Air National Guard helicopter crews join in California wildfire fight
August 16, 2012
Aircrews from the 129th Rescue Wing use an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter to drop water on a wildfire in 2008. Aircrews from the unit are currently working with state and local officials to suppress the Jawbone Complex wildfire in Kern County, Calif.
Virginia Army National Guard engineers bridge the gap with Improved Ribbon Bridge
August 16, 2012
Soldiers with the Virginia Army National Guard's 189th Multi-Role Bridge Company conduct river crossing operations with the Improved Ribbon Bridge system at Fort A.P. Hill, Va.
ABCA Armies' Program allows U.S., member nation reserve forces to share best practices
August 16, 2012
Army Lt. Gen. William E. Ingram Jr., the director of the Army National Guard, speaks about the state of the Army National Guard as he addresses attendees of the 2012 American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies' Program Reserve Information Team Conference, Aug. 6, 2012 in Potomac, Md. The conference focused on ways to streamline interoperability between the reserve component forces of members of the ABCA Program.
Afghanistan: Virginia Army National Guard mom and Marine Corps son meet at Khandahar Airfield
August 15, 2012
Army Maj. Elizabeth Nance, a dental officer with the Virginia Army National Guard currently assigned to the ROLE 3 hospital at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, stands with her son, Marine Corps Capt. Wilson Nance.
Colorado Army National Guard engineers help preserve town, southern Colorado mining history
August 15, 2012
Soldiers from the 947th Engineer Company (Horizontal) use a D7 bulldozer to clear space for a retaining pond in Cokedale, Colo., Aug. 11, 2012. Soldiers from the company are installing culverts, cleaning ditches and repairing degraded dirt roads in the small town in southern Colorado as part of the National Guard's Innovative Readiness Training program, which enhances unit training and readiness while filling a community need that is not otherwise being met.
Kentucky Army National Guard's 202nd Army Band takes on band duties with TRADOC, Fort Eustis
August 15, 2012
Sgt. Jennifer Bowling, a trumpet and bugle player with the Kentucky Army National Guard's 202nd Army Band plays taps during a ceremony at Fort Eustis, Va. Members of the band recently spent time at Fort Eustis backfilling for members of the Training and Doctrine Command Band who were on block leave.
Michigan Air National Guard Airmen refine search and recovery skills
August 14, 2012
Airmen from the 127th Force Support Squadron look on as Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenneth Palmeri, standing, demonstrates the proper way to attach identification information as Air Force Staff Sgt. Darrayl Martin plays the role of a casualty during a field training exercise at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. The members of 127th FSS's trained on search and recovery techniques.
Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers fast rope into training
August 14, 2012
Army Pvt. Cory M. Perry, an infantryman with the Kentucky Army National Guard's Company A, 1st Battalion 149th Infantry Regiment, fast ropes from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during a fast rope insertion training exercise at the Harold L. Disney Training Center in Artemus, Ky.
Louisiana Air National Guard Airmen react quickly, save the lives of three boaters
August 14, 2012
Airmen with the Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Security Forces Squadron were recognized for their heroism at Castle Rock Lake, Wis., when they saved the lives of three people injured at the lake. The Airmen pictured include: Senior Airmen Steven A. Mehterns, Senior Airmen Jared M. Vignes, Tech. Sgt. Reese A. Jenkins, Senior Airmen Russell C. Gary and Senior Airmen Raenell M. Dubroc. (U.S. Air Force photo by
Botswana: North Carolina Air National Guard, Botswana Defense Force find common ground on C-130 Hercules
August 13, 2012
Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Choate, with the North Carolina Air National Guard's 156th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, shows members of the Botswana Defense Force how to properly secure a litter on a BDF C-130 Hercules aircraft as part of training exercise MEDLITE 12, Aug. 11, 2012. MEDLITE is an annual exercise that brings together U.S. forces personnel with counterparts from militaries throughout Africa. The goal of the exercise is to enhance capabilities and work together by introducing the U.S. Aeromedical Evacuation system of patient movement to the BDF military personnel.
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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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