Guard News - The National Guard

PFI helping Guardmembers find active duty tours
November 25, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - When his building inspection business slowed, Tech. Sgt. David Marcelli of the District of Columbia Air National Guard needed to find work.He found it by using Personnel Force... MORE

'Guard farmers' join counterinsurgency fight in Afghanistan
November 25, 2008 — WASHINGTON - The National Guard is taking a biblical verse to heart: "They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks."Commanders in Afghanistan are looking forward to... MORE

Thanksgiving Day Message 2008
November 25, 2008 — WASHINGTON, D.C. - In his 2008 Thanksgiving Day message released today, Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, noted the sacrifices made by National Guard members, their families... MORE

Maryland Guard takes part in U.S. Africa Command exercise
November 25, 2008 — BALTIMORE - For the first time since U.S. Africa Command was stood upOct. 1, the National Guard has deployed Citizen-Soldiers to an African nation to provide desperately needed medical care.The... MORE

Maryland National Guard Staff Sgt. Deshanna Taylor, a medic with the state medical detachment, works on an infected foot during Flintlock 09, a 14-nation training exercise in support of the new U.S. African Command, which concluded on Nov. 20. For the first time, 18 Maryland National Guard doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other medical professionals from the National Guard deployed to Africa to help local Senegalese citizens get some desperately needed medical care.

Blum's time as chief ends with medal from SecDef, praise for others
November 25, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - LTG H Steven Blum handed over the reigns as chief of the National Guard Bureau to Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley during a ceremony at the Pentagon Nov. 17. He was also handed... MORE

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates presents an award to outgoing Chief of the National Guard Bureau LTG H Steven Blum during a transition ceremony at the Pentagon, Nov. 17, 2008.

Defense Department Prepares to Implement Reserve Changes
November 25, 2008 — WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates yesterday charged his department to develop plans to take action on 64 of the 95 recommendations for changes to the U.S. military reserves made by a... MORE

ANG forecasters ensure mission efficiency
November 24, 2008 — SOUTHWEST ASIA - As the thunder rolls and the lightning strikes in the distance, flying units at an air base in Southwest Asia stand by eagerly waiting on the seemingly clairvoyant counsel of a... MORE

Staff Sgt. Kevin Fedon, weather forecaster from the Nebraska Air National Guard, checks weather readouts (temperature, wind speed/direction and precipitation) at a remote weather sensor at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia Nov. 4, 2008. The weather readings are put into a weather model to help predict weather patterns and are used for daily reports to aircrews preparing for missions.

National Guard makes connections at Fort Polk
November 24, 2008 — Making connections, whether physical or abstract, can be an important aspect of problem solving. Fort Polk, Louisiana, has achieved just such a connection through its long-standing relationship with... MORE

Now that six yards of concrete is in the form, National Guardsmen work together to spread and level it.

Soldiers train for upcoming mission at Purdue University
November 24, 2008 — WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Indiana National Guard Soldiers with civilian experience in farming are preparing for their next mission by going back to school.About 30 Soldiers from the 1-19th Agribusiness... MORE

Purdue University agronomy professor George Van Scoyoc explains the difference between forest and prairie soils to Soldiers of the Indiana National Guard's 1-19th Agribusiness Development Team at the Beck Agricultural Center in West Lafayette, Ind., on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008. The Citizen-Soldiers will use this training and their civilian acquired skills to help Afghanistan farmers when the team deploys in 2009.

Tennessee ANG graduates first class of Polish pilots
November 24, 2008 — NASHVILLE - Ten students from the republic of Poland recently graduated from the first C-130 flying training class conducted by the Tennessee Air National Guard's 118th Airlift Wing.The class began... MORE

Ten students from the republic of Poland recently graduated from the first C-130 flying training class conducted by the Tennessee Air National Guard's 118th Airlift Wing in Nashville.

Thousands of Air Guard deployers to be honored through 'Salute Campaign'
November 24, 2008 — LANSDOWNE, Va. - One of the largest Airmen recognition endeavors in Air National Guard history was announced here Thursday by the Air Guard's senior enlisted member.Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith,... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Muncy, command chief of the Ohio Air National Guard, holds up a Hometown Heroes Salute award that in 2009 will be given to eligible National Guard Airmen who deployed on orders for more than 30 consecutive days in a contingency operation. Muncy and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, command chief of the Air Guard, announced the Hometown Heroes Salute program Nov. 20 at the Air Guard Senior Leadership conference outside Washington.

Grief expert offers advice on dealing with traumatic loss
November 24, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - An internationally recognized expert on traumatic grief and crisis response suggested that the word "closure" be taken out of our vocabulary when dealing with traumatic loss.This was... MORE

Bands spread Air Force message through music
November 20, 2008 — LOS ANGELES (AFNS) - Air Force musicians took to heart the entertainment industry phrase "The show must go on" by performing in the greater Los Angeles area as wildfires burned in Southern California... MORE

Reserve Affairs chief explains new DoD directive to ANG leaders
November 20, 2008 — LANSDOWNE, Va. - Recent changes on how the Guard and Reserves are recognized are larger than any in recent history, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday.Thomas F. Hall, the... MORE

Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs, speaks about the transition of the Guard and Reserve from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve at the Air National Guard Senior Leadership Conference in Lansdowne, Va., Nov. 19, outside of Washington.

Wounded warrior shares his experiences with Army Guard audience
November 20, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Education was the goal of Wounded Warrior Awareness Day held here at the Army National Guard Readiness Center yesterday."What we want to do today is educate ourselves," so we can take... MORE

Capt. Adrian Perez collects his thoughts while recounting his story of recovering from wounds sustained in Iraq. Perez, of the Army National Guard's Manpower Analysis section, spoke at the Army National Guard Readiness Centeras part of Wounded Warrior Awareness Day, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008.

Monthly premiums decrease for TRICARE Reserve Select
November 20, 2008 — FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Effective Jan. 1, 2009, TRICARE will reduce the rates for TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS). Monthly premiums for TRS individual coverage will drop 44% from $81.00 to $47.51, and TRS... MORE

Wyatt nominated as next Air National Guard director
November 19, 2008 — LANSDOWNE, Va. -- Less than 24 hours after taking the oath of office as chief of the National Guard Bureau (CNGB), Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley announced here today President George W. Bush will... MORE

Air Force Maj. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, the adjutant general of Oklahoma, is applauded by hundreds of general officers and command chief master sergeants at the Air National Guard's Senior Leadership Conference at the National Conference Center, Nov. 17, outside Washington. Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, announced the selection of Wyatt as the next director of the Air National Guard.

Legacy radio system retired from Army Guard
November 19, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - After more than 50 years in service, the venerable AN/VRC-12 series radio has been retired from the Army National Guard in a ceremony held here today at the Army National Guard... MORE

A Soldier using a VRC-12 radio during the Vietnam War. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army's Center for Military History.

DoD launches national resource directory for wounded warriors
November 19, 2008 — The Department of Defense today launched the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs.The directory is a Web-based network of... MORE

DoD launches 'Wounded Warrior Diaries'
November 19, 2008 — WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials today launched the "Wounded Warrior Diaries," a multimedia Web tribute in which American servicemembers wounded in combat share stories of their service,... MORE

Pennsylvania Guard Hosts Helicopter Orientation for Emergency Responders

Exercise Thunderstruck 2.0 Tests Oklahoma Guard's Unmanned Aerial System Capabilities

Four Indiana National Guard Soldiers Awarded Indiana Distinguished Service Cross

Pennsylvania Air Guard Commemorates Patriot Day With Formation Training Flight

Alaska Air Guard Rescues Plane Crash Survivor