Guard News - The National Guard

Alaska Air National Guard Airmen rescue distressed woman
October 5, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescued a woman in medical distress at Sockeye Lake northeast of Talkeetna.Alaska Air National Guard Senior... MORE

An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, takes off from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 23, 2015. The 210th Rescue Squadron provides emergency rescue services for the citizens of Alaska in addition to training for wartime combat search and rescue missions.

Indiana Guard hosts Jaded Thunder joint exercise
October 4, 2021 — HULMAN FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. – Airmen assigned to the 181st Intelligence Wing went into overtime to host the Jaded Thunder joint exercise at Hulman Field Air National Guard Base Aug... MORE

U.S. Air Force pilots and maintainers assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron prepare F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft on the flightline at Terre Haute Regional Airport in preparation for exercise Jaded Thunder at Hulman Field Air National Guard Base, Ind., Aug. 15, 2021. Hulman Field, which is a dual-purpose, military and civilian airfield, is home to the Indiana National Guard’s 181st Intelligence Wing.

163d Airmen train on readiness in Exercise Grizzly Lightning
October 4, 2021 — MORENO VALLEY, Calif. – Airmen with the 163d Attack Wing participated in a readiness training exercise at March Air Reserve Base Oct. 2-3. The two-day event, dubbed Grizzly Lightning 21-1, was phase... MORE

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Thompson, 163d Logistics Readiness Squadron material management specialist, grabs a helmet for a service member during a deployment training exercise at March Air Reserve Base, California, Oct. 2, 2021. The training exercise, dubbed Grizzly Lightning, is phase one of a three-phase process.

National Guard's interstate cooperation enhances air defense
October 1, 2021 — WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii – In an operations center on the slopes of the Waianae mountain range, teams of Air National Guard Airmen monitor pods of brightly colored computer screens. From their... MORE

Hawaii and Oregon Air National Guard Airmen monitor pods of computer screens displaying the airspace above the Hawaiian islands during exercise Sentry Aloha 2021, Aug. 24, 2021. Hawaii Air National Guard air defense experts teamed with the Oregon Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Squadron to control F-22 Raptors and F-15 Eagles participating in Sentry Aloha 2021.

National Guard neighbors help Louisiana rebuild after Ida
October 1, 2021 — NEW ORLEANS – Every military service member understands sacrifice and selfless service are part of the big picture before taking an oath to defend the United States. After Hurricane Ida ripped through... MORE

Mississippi National Guard 2nd Lt. Austin Riels, assigned to the 113th Military Police Company, 112th Military Police Battalion, waves vehicles through a traffic control point after Hurricane Ida, Grand Isle, Louisiana, Sept. 17, 2021.

New York Air Guard's Skibirds wrap up 2021 Greenland mission
September 30, 2021 — SCOTIA, N.Y. - The New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing wrapped up its annual support to the National Science Foundation in Greenland as Airmen and LC-130 "Skibirds" returned to Stratton... MORE

An LC-130 Skibird assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, gets ready to take off from Raven Camp on the Greenland ice cap. Raven Camp is used to train members on landing on ice runways, polar airdrops and operating in the snow and ice.

Washington Air Guard command chiefs serve Afghan guests
September 29, 2021 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Two command chiefs from the Washington Air National Guard volunteered to support Operation Allies Welcome by leading a temporary community at Joint Base... MORE

Washington Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Marvin Boyd, center, assigned to Washington Air National Guard Headquarters, Camp Murray, Wash., and the senior enlisted leader overseeing Liberty Village 3, helps unload donated items from New Jersey residents, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Sept. 20, 2021.  The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at facilities across the nation.

Maryland, Kentucky Guard partner to build homes for vets
September 29, 2021 — TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Members of the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, and the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, helped build homes for Cherokee veterans in Tahlequah as part of the... MORE

Members from the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, and the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard, build a home for Cherokee veterans in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Aug. 3, 2021, as part of the Defense Department’s Innovative Readiness Training program.

Louisiana Guard shoring up levee damaged by Hurricane Ida
September 29, 2021 — NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard's 225th Engineer Brigade is working nonstop to fill a breached levee in Grand Isle.Grand Isle is Louisiana's only inhabited barrier island, with a little... MORE

A Louisiana National Guardsman assigned to the 225th Engineer Brigade hooks a 3-by-3 foot sack filled with up to 4,000 pounds of sand to an excavator bucket to temporarily repair levee breaches in Grand Isle, Louisiana, Sept 24, 2021. The 225th has emplaced more than 1,100 sacks of sand along the coastline levees in Grand Isle.

176th Wing recognized for heroic rescue mission
September 29, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - The 176th Wing’s operations and maintenance groups were recognized with the 2021 Jolly Green Rescue Mission of the Year accolade. Over Memorial Day weekend,... MORE

Members of the Jolly Green Association present the Jolly Green Mission of the Year award to Maj. Rebecca Altenburg, 176th Wing, Sept. 11, 2021, at Fort Walton, Fla. Altenburg represented the wing as one of the many aviators, maintenance professionals and aircrew flight equipment Airmen during simultaneous rescue missions in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

Vermont Guardsman solves M17 training round extraction issue
September 28, 2021 — COLCHESTER, Vt. – Shortly after the U.S. Army adopted the M17 service pistol in 2017, new individual weapons qualifications required the use of dummy, drilled, inert (DDI) practice rounds before... MORE

1st Lt. Anna Kretzer, a platoon leader assigned to the 527th Military Police Company, qualifies on the new M17. The U.S. Army started fielding Military Police units with the new SIG Sauer M17 pistol to replace the M9 Beretta.

Cyber units secured joint networks during Northern Strike
September 28, 2021 — LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Air National Guard's 272nd Cyber Operations Squadron trained with the Texas National Guard's 273rd COS to secure networks during Northern Strike 21."An exercise like... MORE

Maj. Richard Frantz, 272nd Cyber Operations chief of training, explains the Threat Cloud program to Senior Airmen Kelsie Hubbart and Micah Sage, cyber operators on the operations floor at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Michigan, Sept. 14, 2020. Threat Cloud was used to improve traffic conditions for the state of Michigan during Operation Resilience, Innovative Readiness Training.

New York National Guard funeral honors Korean War MIA
September 28, 2021 — SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. – Maj. Gen. Michel Natali, the assistant adjutant general of New York, joined New York Army National Guard Soldiers Sept. 20 to salute a Korean War Soldier whose remains were laid... MORE

New York Army National Guard Capt. Eric Samson, left, presents the American flag to Douglas Smead, brother of Korean War MIA Cpl. Walter Smead, as part of the military honors for Smead’s funeral ceremony Sept. 20, 2021, at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, N.Y. Smead returned home after 71 years listed as missing in action following his death in North Korea near the Chosin Reservoir in December 1950.

Michigan Army Aviation partners with first responders
September 27, 2021 — IONIA, Mich. – Soldiers with the Michigan National Guard (MING) Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) conducted cold-load and aircraft familiarity training with local fire and EMS personnel Sept... MORE

Michigan Army National Guard’s Sgt. 1st Class John Sheehan, the state standardization instructor for Joint Forces Headquarters in Lansing, talks with first responders in Ionia, Michigan, about items carried in the Black Hawk helicopter Sept. 15, 2021. The Army Aviation Support Facility conducted cold-load and aircraft familiarity training with civilian partners during a pre-accident plan rehearsal.

La. Guard builds bridges, clears roads to recovery after Ida
September 24, 2021 — NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane Ida blew ashore Aug. 29th, the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that breached New Orleans’ levees and devastated the Gulf Coast. Ida made landfall as a... MORE

Louisiana National Guard members with the 2225th Multi-Role Bridge Company ferry emergency responders and equipment from Lafitte to Barataria to assist locals with recovery efforts, Jean Lafitte, La., Sept. 4, 2021. The only bridge to Barataria was damaged during Hurricane Ida and was rendered inoperable.

Indiana Guardsman serves as link between Americans, Afghans
September 23, 2021 — EDINBURGH, Ind.— An Indiana National Guard Soldier, who’s working in support of Operation Allies Welcome at Camp Atterbury, serves as a critical link between his fellow Soldiers and Afghan... MORE

Indiana National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Stringer interprets for an Afghan guest during medical screening, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

Louisiana Guard continues to distribute supplies after Ida
September 23, 2021 — NEW ORLEANS – Behind every disaster response operation to help community members affected by Hurricane Ida stands the Unified Logistics Element (ULE). This Louisiana National Guard element ensures... MORE

Louisiana National Guardsmen distribute food and water to the community during the recovery from Hurricane Ida, in Lockport, La., Aug. 31, 2021, during the recovery from Hurricane Ida.

Oregon Airmen conduct joint familiarization training
September 22, 2021 — PORTLAND AIR GUARD STATION, Ore. – Members of the U.S. Navy Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 10 joined up with the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing to conduct... MORE

Members of the U.S. Navy Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing (CPRW) 10 joined up with the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing to conduct ongoing familiarization training. More than seven coordinated training flights have been conducted between the two groups at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon throughout 2021.

National Guard teams up with active duty, reserve to support Operation Allies Welcome
September 21, 2021 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N. J. – Since August 2021, Afghan evacuees have been arriving at several U.S. military installations across the country. These secure locations are an entry point for... MORE

Washington Air National Guard Master Sgt. Andy Remis, assigned to the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Murray, Wash., lends a helping hand, holding an Afghan child at the Task Force Liberty Village medical station, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Sept. 11, 2021.  The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (National Guard photo by Master Sgt. John Hughel, Washington Air National Guard)

Air Guard Airmen assist in emergency delivery of baby born to Afghan guest
September 20, 2021 — McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base, N.J.—The symbol of our country is a woman, a mother, who would sacrifice anything for the sake of her children. This symbol is no accident. Through a stroke of... MORE

Wyoming Air National Guard Administrative Specialists Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Ballenger and Tech. Sgt. Shyloh Vallot with New York Air Guard, 2nd Lt. Kristin Harosia just after they assisted the emergency delivery of a baby born to an Afghan guest of Operation Allies Welcome at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base, New Jersey.

Beyond the Uniform: New Hampshire Airman’s Training Becomes a Lifeline

Washington Guard, U.S. Army Reserve Conduct Helocast Training in the Pacific Northwest

Guard Explosive Ordnance Disposal Soldiers from Four States Unite for Training

Connecticut Air Guard Provides Rapid Fighter Jet Refueling, Rearming in Record Time

Wyoming Guard Joint Exercise Builds Readiness for Aeromedical Evacuation Teams