Guard News - The National Guard

"Passport" program helps Soldiers, families re-unite
April 24, 2009 — INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - It's been said the hardest part of long deployments is the separation and reintegration of Citizen-Soldiers back to civilian life. It can be a hard time for Soldiers and their... MORE

Wyatt discusses ASA mission with Congress
April 24, 2009 — WASHINGTON - New commitments need to be made to the nation's Airmen and others who defend North America from threats to its air sovereignty, the Air National Guard's senior officer told members of... MORE

Air Force Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt, director of the Air National Guard, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Wes Chadwick, an avionics technician with the 115th Fighter Wing, Wis., at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington April 22 in a congressional hearing on the state of the nation's Air Sovereignty Alert (ASA) operations. The Air Guard operates 16 of the 18 ASA sites located across the United States to protect the nation's airspace.

Army, Marine Corps juggle high demands for ground forces
April 24, 2009 — WASHINGTON, D.C. - With U.S. military members serving in more than 120 countries throughout the world as well as meeting requirements for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, ground forces are stretched... MORE

Federally employed Guardsmen eligible for extra pay
April 24, 2009 — ARLINGTON, Va. - A new law was recently enacted that supplements the salary of National Guard members, who work for the federal government.Federal employees who previously received pay cuts when they... MORE

Illinois Guard leads task force training for Afghan army, police
April 24, 2009 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Made up of just over 7,000 servicemembers, Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix is charged with training and mentoring the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police.The bulk of the... MORE

Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, walks with Brig. Gen Steven P. Huber, commander of Task Force Phoenix VIII, during a recent visit to Camp Phoenix, Kabul, Afghanistan. McKinley was visiting the National Guard Troops assigned to Camp Phoenix in March.

National Guard responds to Myrtle Beach wildfires
April 24, 2009 — ARLINGTON, Va. - National Guard members from North and South Carolina responded to wildfires burning near Myrtle Beach, S.C., today.Low humidity and high winds have fanned the flames in the city,... MORE

North Carolina Army National Guard SGT Joseph Elmorel, a crew chief, looks out of a UH-60 Blackhawk while the aircraft drops water using a "Bambi Bucket" onto fires nearby Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Four UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters and crews from the North Carolina Army National Guard's Company C, 1st Aviation Assault Battalion, 131st Aviation Regiment based in Salisbury, N.C. have been deployed to help extinguish the wildfires.

New 'Operation Purple' program provides family retreats
April 23, 2009 — WASHINGTON, D.C. - It's no secret that deployments put stress on a family, and the National Military Family Association has developed a new "Operation Purple" program at no cost to military... MORE

Oregon Guard launches Homefront Heroes program for kids
April 23, 2009 — SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon National Guard will launch a new program in May to help Oregon children of servicemembers deal with their parents' deployments.The program called, Homefront Heroes in Oregon,... MORE

Boston Marathon supported by Massachusetts Guard
April 23, 2009 — HOPKINTON, Mass. - Almost 400 Massachusetts National Guardsmen were called up to support the 113th running of the Boston Marathon yesterday.Guardsmen from the 126th Combat Support Battalion were... MORE

Army Chief Warrant Officer Thomas R. Lamont, a military personnel technician with Headquarters Company, 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade wears an Army t-shirt as he runs past Sgt. Brian L. McClelland in Hopkinton, Mass., during the 113th running of the Boston Marathon April 20, 2009. Lamont finished the marathon with a time of 4 hours 47 minutes.

Rhode Island Guardsmen walk Boston Marathon in memory of fallen comrade
April 23, 2009 — CRANSTON, R.I. - For the fourth year, Soldiers from the Rhode Island Army National Guard will road march the Boston Marathon in memory of Staff Sgt. Christopher Potts.Potts, a member of the Battery C,... MORE

California Army Guard bids farewell to Huey
April 23, 2009 — MATHER, Calif. - The distinctive hum of the UH-1 helicopter faded into the distance Monday as the last "Huey" took off from Mather Air Field in Sacramento on its final flight for the California Army... MORE

California Air Guard rescue C-130s go digital
April 23, 2009 — MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. - Nestled in the center of the world's technology epicenter is the 129th Rescue Wing of the California National Guard.Search and rescue is the wing's primary mission,... MORE

Two MC-130P Combat Shadow tanker aircraft from the 129th Rescue Wing, Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif., taxi on the Moffett flightline. A test version of the communication format called Situation Awareness Data Link, or SADL, was recently installed and evaluated on a 129th MC-130P Combat Shadow tanker.

CAC-enabled kiosks coming to armories, reserve centers
April 21, 2009 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Information security has become an increasing concern in the military. Hackers attempt to crack into the Department of Defense global information grid daily.While the active-duty... MORE

A test model of CAC-enabled kiosk stands at the New York National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Latham, N.Y. The Army National Guard is installing thousands of these kiosks at armories and reserve centers in all 54 states and territories. More than $3.5 million has been allocated for about 8,400 kiosks around the country.

Former Oregon Air Guard commander shares Holocaust experiences
April 21, 2009 — PORTLAND, Ore. - A former commander of the Oregon Air National Guard recently recounted his experiences during the Holocaust here at Portland Air National Guard Base.Retired Brig. Gen. Fred M... MORE

Retired Oregon Air National Guard Brigadier General Fred M. Rosenbaum, meets with Col. John Kent, commander of the 142nd Fighter Wing, following Rosenbaum's presentation on his personal experiences during the Holocaust was the focus of the wing's Diversity Council observances for Holocaust Remembrance Month.

Wisconsin Guardsmen train urban ops, put 'face to the fight'
April 21, 2009 — MCGREGOR RANGE, N.M. - Wisconsin Guardsmen from the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team are conducting close-quarters combat and urban-operations training, employing the most current tactics, techniques... MORE

Pfc. Jack Shaw, front, and Sgt. Michael Ring, both assigned to C Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, encounter a threat as they enter a building during urban-operations training Saturday at McGregor Range, N.M.

National Guard Youth Foundation names Indy champion as spokesperson
April 21, 2009 — LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. - Indianapolis 500 champion driver Dan Wheldon was recently announced as the new national spokesperson for the National Guard Youth Challenge Program."(This) is an opportunity... MORE

Sunburst Youth Academy Cadets lead Indy 500 Champion driver Dan Wheldon, center, talks with Sunburst Youth Academy cadeets on a tour of the academy during his visit on April 16, 2009. Wheldon was recently announced as the national spokesman for the National Guard Youth Challenge Program. He will be help to raise awareness of the high school dropout epidemic nationwide.

Guard slows spillover at Cottonwood Creek Dam from three directions
April 20, 2009 — LAMOURE, N.D. - The National Guard finished placing 1-ton sandbags at the Cottonwood Creek Dam at Lake LaMoure yesterday, slowing the water flow from the eroded spillway.The Guard had been on site... MORE

Guard reinforces dam spillway near LaMoure
April 20, 2009 — LAMOURE, N.D. - With stepped-up efforts early this morning, the North Dakota National Guard continues to reinforce the eroding emergency spillway by the Cottonwood Creek Dam here at Lake... MORE

Missouri MPs join Special Olympics torch run
April 20, 2009 — COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri National Guard military policemen will join the Missouri Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run, a year-round statewide effort by law enforcement agencies to raise money... MORE

Soldiers of the Missouri National Guard's 175th Military Police Battalion with Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Danner (far left), Gov. Jay Nixon (far right) and athletes of the Special Olympics Missouri.

Last "Bedford Boy" died on Sunday
April 20, 2009 — ARLINGTON, VA. - The last remaining member of the Bedford Boys, a World War II unit from the Virginia Army National Guard that took part in the D-Day invasion, died at the Elks National Home in... MORE

A soldier from the 29th Infantry Division overlooks the newly-dedicated National D-Day Memorial as he renders a salute during the playing of "Taps."

Maine Guard Airmen Exercise Rapid-Response Communications Skills

Louisiana Guard Hosts International Interrogation Competition to Build Readiness

Air Reserve Component Test Center Marks Milestone With F-35 Test Force at Eglin AFB

Texas Guard Members Bolster Border Patrol Efforts along Rio Grande

Washington Army Guard Soldiers Participate in Norwegian Foot March