Guard News - The National Guard

Hokanson: Names in bronze one of the reasons the National Guard keeps our promise to be Always Ready, Always There
September 10, 2021 — NEW YORK – As Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson ran his fingers over the letters spelling out one of the names cut into the 9/11 Memorial here Wednesday, he pondered the consequences of the terrorist attacks... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, places a flag and pauses to remember U.S. Military Academy classmate Douglas Gurian, among the almost 3,000 names engraved in the 9/11 Memorial. “It was an attack on our nation, and deeply personal to so many of us,” Hokanson said. The National Guard transformed from a strategic reserve to an operational force after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. This image was acquired using a cellular device.

Pennsylvania Guard responded in force on 9/11
September 10, 2021 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – At approximately 10:03 a.m. Sept. 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field in western Pennsylvania. Within hours, Soldiers and Airmen from the Pennsylvania... MORE

Left to right, Maj. Gen. William Lynch, Pennsylvania National Guard adjutant general; Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge; and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Paul Evanko leave a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the Pennsylvania National Guard's Company G, 104th Aviation Regiment, at the Flight 93 crash site in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo by Terry Way/Commonwealth Media Services)

Army fields final unit with disaster response comms kit
September 10, 2021 — LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Louisiana Army National Guard used its Disaster Incident Response Emergency Communications Terminal tool suite, known as DIRECT, to provide interagency first responder... MORE

Soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team use a radio bridging voice cross-banding system that is part of the Disaster Incident Response Emergency Communications Terminal (DIRECT) tool suite, on Aug. 20, 2021, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

National Guard members reflect on 9/11 experiences
September 10, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – On Sept. 4, 2001, then-Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Redmond was starting his first day as an assistant district attorney in New York City.One week later, recalled the Green Beret with the... MORE

A graphic illustration of the World Trade Center Twin Towers coming out of the Pentagon with a keystone on the bottom. The towers’ gradient from blue to red symbolizes the lives lost on 9/11. As the nation commemorates the tragic day 20 years ago, National Guard members and retirees reflect on their experiences, and how the day’s events changed the course of the Guard.

Wisconsin National Guard supports Operation Allies Welcome
September 10, 2021 — VOLK FIELD, Wis. – Wisconsin National Guard troops continue to welcome Afghan evacuees and Special Immigrant Visa holders arriving in the United States. Airfield managers, refuelers, and security... MORE

An aircraft transporting Afghans is guided at Volk Field on Camp Douglas Wisconsin, Aug. 22, 2021. The Department of Defense approved a request for assistance from the State Department to provide temporary housing, sustainment, and support inside the United States for vulnerable Afghans at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, and other facilities around the United States where they and their families can finalize their immigration processing safely.

Alaska Air National Guard rescues bear-mauling victim
September 10, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guard members of the 176th Wing saved a hunter mauled by a bear Sept. 8 in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. The hunter... MORE

An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter and aircrew assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron and pararescuemen from the 212th Rescue Squadron saved a distressed hiker on July 26, 2020, at Mount Williwaw east of Anchorage.

How 9/11 shaped the future of the Washington National Guard
September 9, 2021 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – The world is undoubtedly a different place than it was 20 years ago.Following the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, more than 200 Washington National Guardsmen deployed to... MORE

The 9/11 terrorist attacks 20 years ago prompted the Washington National Guard to make changes to face the increased threat at home and abroad.

West Virginia Guard played pivotal role in Afghan evacuation
September 9, 2021 — CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Soldiers and Airmen of the West Virginia National Guard were critical components of Operation Allies Refuge, the State Department-led project of evacuating Afghan citizens and... MORE

A West Virginia Air National Guard C-17 Globemaster lll carrying Afghanistan evacuees arrives at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy Aug. 22, 2021. Two aircrews from the 167th Airlift Wing transported passengers and cargo into and out of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

Alaska National Guard helps with Louisiana hurricane relief
September 9, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – The Alaska National Guard is in Louisiana helping the Louisiana National Guard and civil authorities respond to Hurricane Ida, which struck the state Aug... MORE

Sgt. Joemicheal Cristobal, Spc. Osias Passi, and Spc. Brennon Westfall, members of the Alaska Army National Guard and Task Force-Alaska, log trailer and driver information at a transportation yard in Roseland, Louisiana, Sept. 7, 2021. They are among 17 Alaska Guardsmen assisting the Louisiana National Guard and civil authorities in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

Wisconsin Guard battling wildfires in West
September 8, 2021 — MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin National Guard members are burnishing their skills while supporting a demanding mission battling wildfires in California and Washington.The mission in the West began in... MORE

Wisconsin Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk crews from the Madison, Wis.-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation, provide assistance in wildfire fighting operations in California.

New York Guardsmen remember 9/11
September 8, 2021 — LATHAM, N.Y. – Three New York National Guard leaders who were part of the state response to 9/11 said the terrorist attacks 20 years ago changed them, the National Guard and the world.The headlines on... MORE

New York Army National Guard Maj. Edward Keyrouze assists at the still smoldering "rubble pile" at Ground Zero following the attack on the World Trade Center towers in New York Sept. 11, 2001. More than 14,000 members of the New York National Guard responded to the attack.

Cal Guard fighting wildfires across the state
September 8, 2021 — SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Service members within the California Military Department remain hard at work battling wildfires."There are 1,264 Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen supporting firefighting efforts... MORE

Trees burn within eyesight of a California National Guard hand crew with Joint Task Force 578 during the Dixie Fire in Northern California Aug. 16, 2021. The task force is part of the mutual aid system in support of CAL FIRE.

Thank your troops, Louisiana leaders tell National Guard chief
September 7, 2021 — NEW ORLEANS – Community leaders had a message for Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson when he visited New Orleans Tuesday to assess the National Guard's response to Hurricane Ida and see troops. They gathered... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, talks with community leaders during a visit to assess the Hurricane Ida response and thank troops in New Orleans Sept. 7, 2021. This image was acquired using a cellular device.

Wisconsin Guard cyber team serving 1st federal deployment
September 7, 2021 — MADISON, Wis. – Soldiers with the Wisconsin National Guard's Detachment 1, 176th Cyber Protection Team, have made tremendous strides during the unit's first federal deployment, to Fort Meade,... MORE

Soldiers of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Detachment 1, 176th Cyber Protection Team, with Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, following their external evaluation exercise prior to deploying. The team, which includes Soldiers from Minnesota, Illinois and Virginia, is in the midst of a mobilization to cyberspace operations in support of U.S. Cyber Command and Cyber National Mission Force requirements.

New York State Military Museum marks 9/11 with exhibit
September 7, 2021 — SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The New York State Military Museum will open an exhibit about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on the 20th anniversary of the attacks.The exhibit tells the... MORE

A New York Police Department parking enforcement vehicle that was crushed when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed in Manhattan on 9/11 is unloaded outside the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs, New York, Aug. 16, 2021. The vehicle, on loan from the New York State Museum, will be part of an exhibit at the museum, run by the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Guard fights wildfires, responds to Ida, serves overseas
September 7, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Guard continues to live up to its promise, "Always Ready, Always There," with close to 59,000 Guard members on duty overseas or at home responding to Hurricane Ida,... MORE

Louisiana National Guardsmen with the 922nd Engineer Vertical Construction Company helped rescue 135 people and four dogs in the flooded community of LaPlace, Louisiana, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in south Louisiana Aug. 29, 2021.

Vermont Guard provides input for crew-served weapon's scope
September 7, 2021 — JERICHO, Vt. – Annual training for the Vermont Army National Guard's Head and Headquarters Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion (Mountain), was a bit different this year as Soldiers were trained... MORE

Soldiers with the Vermont National Guard's Headquarters Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion (Mountain), adjust a new Family of Crew Served Sight Systems at the Camp Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont. From Aug. 16-20, 2021, Soldiers provided feedback that will be used to further refine the optic before full-rate production in 2023.

Oklahoma Guard distributing critical supplies to Louisianans
September 7, 2021 — DONALDSONVILLE, La. – Soldiers and Airmen with the Oklahoma National Guard are helping their Louisiana neighbors affected by Hurricane Ida by supplying food, water and other needed supplies to those... MORE

Oklahoma National Guard Sgt. Stephen Bruke hands out water at a point of distribution site in Gramercy, Louisiana, Sept. 4, 2021. The Oklahoma National Guard operates 13 PODs across seven parishes that supply local families with tarps, meals ready to eat, ice and water.

Florida Guard’s Red Horse engineers respond to Hurricane Ida
September 7, 2021 — BELLE CHASSE, La. – Approximately 30 members from the 202nd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (Red Horse) out of Camp Blanding, Florida, helped removed debris and... MORE

Members of the 202nd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (Red Horse) partnered with the 159th Civil Engineering Squadron and New Orleans Parks and Parkways to clear debris from roads in New Orleans, Sept. 4, 2021. Red Horse, from Camp Blanding, Fla., is a specialized, highly mobile civil engineering team of Florida Army and Air National Guardsmen.

National Guard conducts multiple Hurricane Ida missions
September 7, 2021 — BATON ROUGE, La. – Thousands of Louisiana National Guardsmen continue emergency operations in the state in the wake of Hurricane Ida. More than 5,380 members of the Louisiana National Guard are... MORE

While on a high-water boat mission to conduct wellness checks on residents in Maurepas, Louisiana, Spc. Gemini Jack (pictured) and Spc. Jacob Hawkins from the 1020th Engineer Vertical Construction Company, 527th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, rescued an elderly cancer patient Sept. 1, 2021.

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