Guard News - The National Guard

Air Guard service leads Airman to extremes of the globe
May 22, 2013 — SOUTHWEST ASIA - Staff Sgt. Sophia Mantzouris of the 386th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron said she knew she wanted to enlist on active duty from the time she was a little girl, but a friend steered her... MORE

Staff Sgt. Sophia Mantzouris, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, conducts a 7 Day Desert inspection on a C-130 Hercules at the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, Southwest Asia Mar. 23, 2013. Mantzouris is deployed from the 166th Airlift Wing, Delaware Air National Guard.

Oklahoma National Guard Civil Support Team members responded to killer twister in their own backyard
May 22, 2013 — MOORE, Okla. - For members of the 63rd Civil Support Team, their mission following Monday's killer tornado was more personal - they knew people directly affected and some Soldiers even lived in the... MORE

Sgt. Warren Williams of the 63rd Civil Support Team searches debris in Moore, Okla., in response to the May 20, 2013, EF-5 tornado.

30 employers recognized for exemplary National Guard and Reserve support
May 22, 2013 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, announced 30 employers as finalists for the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom... MORE

Oklahoma National Guard responds to Moore devastation for search and security assistance
May 21, 2013 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Nearly 250 members of the Oklahoma National Guard were assisting Tuesday with victim search and security in Moore, Okla., where a monster tornado left at least 20 dead, authorities... MORE

Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers and Airmen respond to a devastating tornado that ripped through Moore, Okla., May 20, 2013.

Beneficiaries must sign up for TRICARE automatic payment by May 31
May 21, 2013 — WASHINGTON - Beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve who pay monthly premiums by check must switch to an electronic form of payment by May 31 to avoid losing... MORE

New York Army National Guard Soldiers learn hand-to-hand fighting skills
May 21, 2013 — CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, N.Y. - New York Army National Guard Soldiers are developing the skills of hand-to-hand combat during classes at Camp Smith Training Site."It builds confidence, it makes you... MORE

Spc. Adam Wroblewski, a cable systems installer, with Detachment 1, Signal Company, 42nd Infantry Division, fights a fellow Soldier during Level 1 Army Combatives Training at Camp Smith May 19, 2013.

Senior Army Guard leader describes Oklahoma tornado response
May 21, 2013 — WASHINGTON - About 250 Oklahoma National Guard members are helping with recovery efforts after a massive tornado pounded an Oklahoma City suburb Monday, killing at least 24 people and leaving... MORE

Life-saving precaution: Social media users should practice operational security
May 20, 2013 — WASHINGTON - It's as easy as a click of a mouse or a tap on a smartphone, and in a few seconds sensitive Army information might be shared that could get Soldiers killed.With the ease of social media,... MORE

Soldiers must maintain professionalism and consider operations security when posting on social media to avoid leaking sensitive information.

National Guard troops participating in Ardent Sentry disaster drills
May 20, 2013 — WASHINGTON - A perfect storm of simulated disasters continues unfolding in parts of the United States as National Guard Soldiers join other military and Defense Department members in tuning... MORE

Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, S.C. Army National Guard, carry an injured civilian to the decontaminated site in front of the Hampton Regional Medical Center, Varnville, S.C., as part of Ardent Sentry, a major NORAD and USNORTHCOM-sponsored exercise.

Employment outlook rosier for Guard and Reserve members
May 20, 2013 — WASHINGTON - Serving in the National Guard and Reserve may be one way to improve employment opportunities, according to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report.The report, released by this... MORE

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bill Marley recently counseled a member of the Tennessee National Guard enrolling in a job connection program.

Total Force end product may be simple but the path there is anything but easy
May 20, 2013 — ARLINGTON, Va. - The three Air Force generals who comprise the front line for Total Force Task Force agreed the end product they need to develop is simple - provide the secretary and chief of staff of... MORE

National Guard military technicians, civilians face furloughs
May 17, 2013 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Most National Guard military technicians and civilian employees can expect 11 furlough days before the end of the fiscal year, National Guard Bureau officials said Thursday.The move... MORE

4,000 Veterans hired through Missouri Guard employment programs
May 17, 2013 — JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - As the National Guard transitioned from a strategic to operational reserve since 9/11, the Missouri National Guard evolved with the times, adapting and spearheading a number of... MORE

DoD furlough days will be 11, Defense Secretary Hagel says
May 15, 2013 — WASHINGTON - After weeks of review, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has concluded budget cuts will require most of the department's civilian employees to be furloughed beginning in July, but that... MORE

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced plans for 11 furlough days at a meeting May 14, 2013.

Several programs offer assistance to Guard members seeking civilian employment
May 15, 2013 — ARLINGTON, Va. - With the economy continually changing, and many finding themselves out of work, National Guard members who may find themselves unemployed have a number of resources within the Guard... MORE

Arizona Army National Guard sustainability manager wins Secretary of Defense award
May 15, 2013 — ARLINGTON, Va. - With green initiatives taking the United States by storm, it can be difficult to imagine a time when environmental consciousness did not exist."I started reading about this thing... MORE

Defense Secretary Hagel announces 11 furlough days for civilian employees
May 14, 2013 — Editor's note: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, speaking Tuesday afternoon at a town hall meeting in Alexandria, Va., announced that civilian employees would be furloughed for 11 days beginning in July... MORE

Illinois mom returns from deployment in time for Mother's Day
May 10, 2013 — ROCHESTER, Ill. - The bond between a mother and her children is one of the most foundational, yet significant relationships between human beings. This connection is so profound that not even time and... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Sarah J. Campbell pushes her children, Austin and Kiana, on a tire swing at the Rochester Community Park May 6, 2013. Campbell was reunited with her children in March, after serving for nine months in Kuwait.

D.C. Guard wife named Military Spouse of the Year
May 10, 2013 — WASHINGTON - Alicia Hinds Ward, wife of Tech. Sgt. Edwinston Ward, 113th Wing Logistics Readiness Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Md., is the winner of the 2013 Military Spouse of the Year.Representing... MORE

Alicia Hinds Ward accepts the 2013 Military Spouse of the Year award alongside Lt. Gen. Stanley E. Clarke III, the director of the Air National Guard.

Camarillo Springs Fire hits home for Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing
May 9, 2013 — PORT HUENEME, Calif. - When hot, dry, gusty winds from the east, known as Santa Ana winds, carried the sparks and embers of the Camarillo Springs wildfire dangerously close to homes and neighborhoods... MORE

Guard, Reserve and Navy Test Helicopter Countermeasures Over Water

Georgia Guard Trains to Bolster Domestic Response Capabilities

Nordhaus, Raines: National Guard Delivers Outsized Impact at Home, Abroad

Specialized Oregon Guard Unit Conducts Training at Camp Rilea

Caine: When you Mobilize the Guard, you Mobilize the Nation