Guard News - The National Guard

Defenders hone ground combat skills during joint training
June 16, 2021 — JOINT BASE CAPE COD, Mass. – As the fog lifted off the ground and temperatures began to rise, defenders from the 102nd Security Forces Squadron made their way to the objective through thick... MORE

Tech. Sgt. Peter Cummings engages the enemy during a support-by-fire training exercise on Joint Base Cape Cod, Mass., June 5, 2021. Cummings is an assistant flight sergeant with the 102nd Security Forces Squadron.

Nevada National Guard enters final stages of COVID battle
June 16, 2021 — LAS VEGAS – After 16 months on the front lines fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Nevada Guard Soldiers and Airmen are in the final stages of the battle as coronavirus cases hit an all-time low in the... MORE

Nevada National Guard Spc. Dulce Alaniz with Joint Task Force 17 prepares to administer the one-shot Janssen vaccine to a citizen at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas June 10, 2021. The Nevada Guard is winding down it's 16-month battle against the coronavirus.

152nd SFS Guardsmen maintain proficiency at shooting range
June 15, 2021 — HAWTHORNE, Nev. – Members of the 152nd Security Forces Squadron participated in a small-arms, live-fire training exercise at the Hawthorne Army Depot June 8-10.The Nevada National Guard Airmen aimed... MORE

Staff Sgt. John Brown, 152nd Security Forces Squadron combat arms training and maintenance instructor, fires an M9 handgun during a live-fire training exercise at the Hawthorne Army Depot Freedom Range, Hawthorne, Nev., June 10, 2021. The instructors lead, manage, supervise and implement small arms weapons training programs.

PATRIOT 21 exercise underway at Volk Field
June 15, 2021 — VOLK FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Wis. – About 1,000 people are participating in PATRIOT 21, a domestic operations (DOMOPS) training exercise sponsored by the National Guard Bureau at Fort McCoy and... MORE

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sadonta Cole, a firefighter with the 188th Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Ark., trains using various methods to cut metal with a torch at the REACT Center during PATRIOT 21 at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center, Wis., June 13, 2021. PATRIOT 21 is an annual, accredited Joint National Training Capability exercise that provides a simulated natural disaster environment for units to test their response and capabilities to conduct domestic operations.

Hawaii, California Guardsmen practice space capsule recovery
June 15, 2021 — MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – Hawaii and California Air National Guard Airmen completed a week of search-and-rescue training missions in support of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.The training entailed... MORE

Guardian Angel pararescuemen from the 131st Rescue Squadron descend into the ocean May 20, 2021, at Santa Cruz Water Drop Zone, Calif. Airmen, rescue craft and life-support equipment were airdropped by a C-17 Globemaster III, operated by a Hawaii Air National Guard aircrew, to validate their ability to recover a splashed-downed team of astronauts during a contingency rescue.

New York National Guard celebrates Army birthday
June 15, 2021 — LATHAM, N.Y. – An Army warrant officer who has been in uniform since 1978 and a private first class who has served just over a year joined forces to cut the Army birthday cake during the New York... MORE

New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brian Sherman, Chief Warrant Officer Jacqueline O'Keefe, the New York National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer, and Pfc. Tyler Tomlin cut a cake to celebrate the 246th birthday of the U.S. Army June 14, 2021, during a ceremony at New York Army National Guard headquarters in Latham, New York.

Cyclone Division Soldiers embrace warfight challenge
June 14, 2021 — EDINBURGH, Ind. – The 38th Infantry Division Soldiers embraced Warfighter Exercise 21-5 and exceeded the standard.The 38th ID Soldiers are many things, but the best word to describe them during this... MORE

Indiana National Guard Lt. Col. Harmonie Foster, the 38th Infantry Division's logistics officer, points to stats on a screen as other Soldiers look on at the division's tactical operations center at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, June 10, 2021. The division's Soldiers tested virtual battlefield scenarios in Warfighter Exercise 21-5.

Kentucky Air Guard member earns Airman's Medal for heroism
June 14, 2021 — LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A special operations Airman in the Kentucky Air National Guard was awarded the Airman's Medal for risking his life to save others while responding to a car crash near Louisville.The... MORE

Brig. Gen. Hal Lamberton, left, the adjutant general for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, pins the Airman’s Medal to the uniform of Master Sgt. Daniel Keller, a combat controller in the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, during a ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., June 12, 2021. Keller earned the award for heroism in recognition of his actions to save human life following a traffic accident near Louisville in 2018.

Louisiana Airmen maintain readiness at Air Dominance Center
June 14, 2021 — SAVANNAH, Ga. – 159th Fighter Wing Airmen from across Louisiana gathered at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah for annual training, June 6–11. “Annual training allows us to network within our unit... MORE

Staff Sgt. Jacob Tapley, 159th Civil Engineer Squadron, takes part in dismounted patrol tactics as part of basic combat skills training at the Air Dominance Center in Savannah, Ga., June 7, 2021. The training was led by the 159th Security Forces Squadron as part of unit operations readiness.

Guardsmen earn Norwegian Foot March Badge during joint event
June 11, 2021 — ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Kittitas County farmland doesn’t seem like the place to earn a coveted military honor, but for Washington National Guardsmen and Central Washington University cadets, it was the... MORE

Capt. Laudy Choum, communications officer with the 898th Brigade Engineer Battalion, poses with other members of the Washington National Guard after completing the Norwegian Foot March in Ellensburg, Wash., June 5, 2021. Participants must march 18.6 miles within 4 hours, 30 minutes while in uniform and boots carrying a 25-pound rucksack.

Alaska Army National Guard pilots get Red Card certification
June 11, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, – The Alaska Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment, dropped water from buckets over rural areas of the installation June 9 as part of annual Red... MORE

A 1st Battalion, 207th Aviation Regiment CH-47 Chinook helicopter with a water bucket system attached flies during the unit's Red Card certification on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 9, 2021. The certification of Alaska Army National Guard pilots means proficiency in water bucket drops to assist with wildfire emergencies in the state.

WVNG medical unit ensures Soldier readiness, COVID response
June 10, 2021 — CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The second floor of the U.S. Army Reserve building may seem at first glance like an unassuming office space.Within that space, however, resides a unit that plays a crucial role in... MORE

Members of the West Virginia National Guard helped conduct a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Buffalo, West Virginia, March 26, 2021. More than 200 employees were vaccinated, demonstrating a whole of government public-private partnership that has helped West Virginia become a nationally recognized leader in COVID-19 vaccine administration.

173rd FW joins search and rescue team in simulated exercise
June 10, 2021 — GERBER RESERVOIR, Ore. – In a quiet corner of an Eastern Oregon forest, a team of volunteers in bright yellow shirts emblazoned with “Search and Rescue” combed the rocky hills in search of a mannequin... MORE

Klamath County search and rescue member drive a side-by-side to search for a simulated missing pilot June 5, 2021, near Gerber Reservoir, Ore. The 173rd Fighter Wing held a joint exercise with the Klamath County SAR team to practice finding a downed pilot in the woods.

Alaska Air Guardsmen build homes for Cherokee veterans
June 10, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Thirty-eight Alaska Air National Guardsmen with the 176th Wing helped build homes for Cherokee veterans in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, May 15-29 as part of the... MORE

Alaska Air National Guardsmen with the 176th Civil Engineer Squadron stand alongside Brig. Gen. Anthony Stratton, 176th Wing commander, as they near the end of their participation in the Cherokee Veterans Housing Initiative in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, May 27, 2021. The initiative is a collaboration between the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training program and the Cherokee Nation to build new single-family homes and supporting infrastructure for eligible Cherokee Nation veterans and their families.

Vermont National Guard biathletes eye 2022 Beijing Olympics
June 10, 2021 — COLCHESTER, Vt. – Three Vermont National Guard biathletes are training hard in anticipation of attending the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. If selected, VTARNG members will make up 37 percent... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Vasek Cervenka, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Garrison Support Command, Vermont National Guard, competing in the 12.5 KM Pursuit Race at the 2021 Junior World Championships in Obertilliach, Austria, March 3, 2021. Cervenka hopes to compete in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, China.

NGB chief recognizes scholarship awardees, touts STEM careers
June 9, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, recently recognized awardees of the Army National Guard ROTC Minuteman Scholarship during a virtual presentation... MORE

Maj. Eric Juarez, a helicopter pilot with the 449th Combat Aviation Brigade, North Carolina Army National Guard, speaks with ROTC cadets from East Carolina University during an ROTC training event in Greenville, North Carolina. Army National Guard members interested in commissioning through ROTC may also qualify for the Army National Guard ROTC Minuteman Scholarship, a program administered through the U.S. Army Cadet Command that pays full tuition and other education expenses for Army Guard members enrolled in an Army ROTC program.

Annual posture statement touts ‘Year of the Guard’
June 9, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Guard released its annual posture statement June 9, detailing the Guard’s current operations and providing an overview of missions during a historic, unprecedentedly busy... MORE

The 2022 National Guard Bureau posture statement was released June 9, 2021, and outlines National Guard operations and the unprecedented 'Year of the Guard.'

103rd Airlift Wing trains multicapable maintainers
June 9, 2021 — EAST GRANBY, Conn. – Airmen from the 103rd Security Forces Squadron partnered with the 103rd Maintenance Group June 5 to conduct flight line security training. The course is part of an Air Force... MORE

Tech. Sgt. Leo Otero, left, and Staff Sgt. Daniel Vanwormer, 103rd Security Forces Squadron, demonstrate detaining procedures during a training course on flight line security for the 103rd Maintenance Group at Bradley Air National Guard Base, East Granby, Connecticut, June 5, 2021. The course taught maintainers techniques for bolstering security, responding to potential threats before Security Forces personnel arrive.

Michigan National Guard drives Operation Patriot Press
June 8, 2021 — AUGUSTA, Mich. – Michigan National Guard Soldiers drove a half-million miles through more than 15 states, transporting almost 6 million pounds of ammunition as part of Operation Patriot Press.The... MORE

The Michigan Army National Guard’s 1463rd Transportation Company is coming to its home base Fort Custer Training Center in Augusta, Michigan, May 18, 2021. They, along with their sister unit, the 1461st Transportation Company, both part of the 246th Transportation Battalion based in Jackson, Michigan, spent a week transporting ammunition as part of Operation Patriot Press.

167th Airlift Wing BASH program vital to airfield safety
June 7, 2021 — MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – At the 167th Airlift Wing, airfield management ensures a safe, efficient and effective airfield and responds to safety hazards affecting the airfield environment.Safety threats... MORE

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jose Marrero, noncommissioned officer in charge of airfield management with the 167th Operations Support Group, displays a pyrotechnical device with cartridges used as part of the Bird/wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazards (BASH) program, at the 167th Airlift Wing, Martinsburg, West Virginia, May 12, 2021. The airfield management team uses many noise-making devices to encourage animals to move away from the airfield.

Pennsylvania Guard Medical Unit Gains Vital Experience During Field Exercise

California Air National Guard Hosts Reaper Smoke 2025

Louisiana Guard, Active Component Airmen Complete Air-to-Air Integration Training

Air National Guard Leaders Host 2025 Wing Leader Fly-In

Colorado Army National Guard Conducts Aviation Training for Wildfire Season