Guard News - The National Guard

Thunderbird Trail: Preserving Sacrifice, Strengthening Connection for Oklahoma Guard
September 29, 2025 — ITALY – Standing among rows of white marble headstones at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial, Soldiers of the Oklahoma National Guard bent to place sand from the beaches of Anzio into the... MORE

Oklahoma National Guard leaders and Italian representatives unveil a plaque at the former headquarters of the 45th Infantry Division during WWII in Venafro, Italy, Sept. 8, 2025. A delegation of Oklahoma National Guard members and veterans toured key locations from the 45th Infantry Division’s campaign in Italy against German forces during World War II, continuing the development of the Thunderbird Trail. The initiative is aimed at preserving the Division's role in World War II through a memorial trail tracing its footsteps through Italy, France and Germany, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)

Oregon Guard Member Rises Toward Powerlifting Nationals
September 26, 2025 — PORTLAND, Ore. — In October 2024, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Stepfanie Glidewell was preparing for surgery. For years, Glidewell had struggled with a debilitating pain that made even walking a... MORE

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Stepfanie Glidewell, 142nd Maintenance Operations Flight unit deployment manager, rests on a bench press at Portland Air National Guard Base, Ore., Sept. 6, 2025.

Minnesota Air Guard Tech Recognized for Extraordinary Personal Action
September 23, 2025 — DULUTH, Minn. - On Sept. 22, Minnesota Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Jared Hinks, 148th Fighter Wing munitions systems specialist, was honored in front of family, friends and colleagues by the... MORE

Dan Williams, executive director of the American Red Cross serving northern and central Minnesota, Tech. Sgt. Jared Hinks, a munitions systems specialist with the 148th Fighter Wing, and Jeff Kazel, regional director of the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces for Minnesota and the Dakotas, pose for a photo at the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth, Minn., Sept. 22, 2025.

A Mother and Son Legacy: Deployed to Kosovo on a Shared Mission
September 22, 2025 — CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - For Sgt. 1st Class Tresa Allemang, serving in the Army has always been more than a career; it’s been a family story.Allemang and her son, Cpl. Aiden Stackhouse, are deployed... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Tresa Allemang and her son, Cpl. Aiden Stackhouse, assigned to the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, are serving together on the NATO-led KFOR mission in Kosovo. The mother and son have the opportunity to share a common dream of serving side by side on the same mission.

South Carolina Guard Member Assists Woman Choking
September 2, 2025 — ANDERSON, S.C. – What began as a routine lunch Aug. 28 at the Anderson Metro Diner quickly transformed into a life-saving event thanks to the quick thinking and decisive action of Sgt. Maj. Michael... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Binninger, operations Sgt. Maj., 117th Engineer Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard, and wife, Susan Binninger, pose for a picture, Columbia, South Carolina, 2022.

Louisiana Guard’s Tiger Brigade Marks 20th Anniversary of Redeployment and Hurricane Response
August 29, 2025 — NEW ORLEANS – This fall, the Louisiana National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the Tiger Brigade, commemorates the 20th anniversary of its redeployment from Iraq in September... MORE

Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Russel Honore, Task Force Katrina commander, and Brig. Gen. John Basilica, 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team commander, talk to news media during the aftermath of Hurricane Rita on Sep. 29, 2005.

Boss Lift Helps Employers Understand Lives of Oregon Guard Soldiers
July 28, 2025 — ORCHARD COMBAT TRAINING CENTER, Idaho — The roar of helicopter rotors filled the Idaho sky as civilian employers got an up-close look at what their employees do when they trade business suits for... MORE

Lt. Col. Christopher Miller, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, and Staff Sgt. Stephen Young of Charlie Company demonstrates a terrain table used by the mechanized infantry company for planning training operations to civilian employers during an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift event on July 27, 2025

Why I Serve: DC Guard Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic Excels in Operational Relevance
July 17, 2025 — WASHINGTON — From Togo to the nation’s capital, U.S. Army Spc. Massan Signon of the 104th Maintenance Company has embraced every challenge with determination and a commitment to service. A wheeled... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Massan Signon, wheeled vehicle mechanic (91B) with the D.C. National Guard’s 104th Maintenance Company, stands for a photograph at the Combined Support Maintenance Shop at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2025.

Indiana Guard Airman Honored for Lifesaving Efforts
July 14, 2025 — TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Indiana National Guard Technical Sgt. Bram Sanders, a medic from the 181st Medical Group, was honored July 10 for his lifesaving response to a plane crash at the Terre Haute... MORE

Air Force Staff Sgt. Bram Sanders, a medic with the 181st Medical Group Search and Extraction element assigned to the 19th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package, Indiana National Guard participates in training at a simulated disaster site during a pre-external evaluation sustainment year collective training event at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., Aug. 10, 2022.

Colorado Soldier Receives the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism
July 10, 2025 — CENTENNIAL, Colo. — U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Cruz, 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, Colorado Army National Guard, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for heroism July 9 in an... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Cruz receives the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism after rescuing an unconscious driver from a burning vehicle without regard for his own safety.

Maryland Air Guard Provides Pilot Experience for Children Fighting Cancer
July 2, 2025 — MIDDLE RIVER, Md. – The Maryland Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Squadron hosted two children as honorary pilots June 7 as part of the Pilot for a Day program at Warfield Air National Guard Base at... MORE

Maryland Air National Guard Capt. Carson Miller (middle-left), an A-10C Thunderbolt ll pilot assigned to the 104th Fighter Squadron, Master Sgt. Jonathan Lorenz (middle-right), avionics technician for the 175th Maintenance Squadron, and Elena LeMoine (left) and Maverick Bell (right), pose for a group photo in front of an A-10C Thunderbolt II static display at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, Maryland, June 7, 2025. LeMoine and Bell, as well as their families, attended "Pilot For a Day," facilitated by the Gold in Fight Foundation, which invites children and families from the local community who have catastrophic illnesses to spend the day with pilots. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Laura Virtue)

South Dakota Air Guard’s New Therapy Dog Lends a Pawsitive Touch
July 1, 2025 — JOE FOSS FIELD, S.D. – At the 114th Fighter Wing, the commitment to Airmen extends beyond physical readiness and now includes a four-legged presence focused on mental wellness. Captain, a 2-year-old... MORE

Captain, facility therapy dog, 114th Fighter Wing, greets Airmen as they work June 24, 2025 at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota.

Illinois Guard Soldier Returns to College Wrestling After Deployment
June 24, 2025 — URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Before he returned to the wrestling mat at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Spc. Joe Braunagel of O’Fallon, Illinois, returned from something much more... MORE

Spc. Joe Braunagel, right, trains during a wrestling session at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, June 17, 2025.

Kentucky Guardsman Interprets Native Language, Cyber Skills
June 13, 2025 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – From Juarez, Mexico, to the Kentucky Army National Guard, Staff Sgt. Daniel Jarillo-Gutierrez, an information technology specialist, can translate into three languages: English,... MORE

Staff Sgt. Daniel Jarillo-Gutierrez, an information technology specialist assigned to Joint Force Headquarters with the Kentucky Army National Guard participates in exercise Cyber Shield 2025 with Ecuadorian state partners in Virginia Beach, Virginia, June 4, 2025.

Oregon Guard Honors Army's 250th with Norwegian Endurance Challenge
June 9, 2025 — MEDFORD, Ore. – As the U.S. Army marks its 250th anniversary, Oregon National Guard Soldiers embraced a fitting tribute – completing one of the military's most demanding endurance tests that has... MORE

Participants gather at the start line in the pre-dawn light at U.S. Cellular Field in Medford, Ore., June 8, 2025, before beginning the Norwegian Foot March.

Vermont Air Guard First on Scene of South Burlington Fire
June 4, 2025 — SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Doireann Chesbrough, a civilian firefighter for the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, was sitting next to the radio in the dayroom of the station as the sun began to... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard civilian firefighters, assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, pose in front of the fire truck that was the first on scene, South Burlington, VT, June 4, 2025.

Washington Airman Selected for Direct Commission in Cyber
May 30, 2025 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington – Capt. Isaac Tian, a cyber operations officer with the 262nd Cyber Operations Squadron, is among the first Air National Guard members selected under a newly... MORE

U.S. Air Force Capt. Isaac Tian, a cyber operations officer with the 262nd Cyber Operations Squadron, Washington Air National Guard, analyzes data for evidence of adversary indicators of compromise on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 6, 2025.

Minnesota Guard Soldier Competes on the All-Army Softball Team
May 27, 2025 — SAINT PAUL, Minn. – As a veteran with nearly two decades of service, Army 1st Sgt. Steven Cox has had plenty of experience, but his latest achievement took him to a different kind of field – a... MORE

Army 1st Sgt. Steven Cox, the first sergeant assigned to the Minnesota National Guard’s Faribault-based 224th Transportation Company, hits a ball during the Armed Forces Softball Tournament, 2024, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Oregon Guard Soldier Sets New World Record for Hand Release Push-Ups
May 27, 2025 — WEST SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Army National Guard Physician Assistant Maj. Tommy Vu set a new world record May 23 for the most hand-release push-ups completed in one hour, achieving 1,422 repetitions at... MORE

Oregon Army National Guard Physician Assistant Maj. Tommy Vu grimaces with maximum effort at the apex of a push-up as the counter shows 1,413 repetitions with just 26 seconds remaining in his world record attempt at West Coast Strength gym in West Salem, Ore., May 23, 2025.

Ohio Army National Guard Hacking a Recruiting Challenge
May 23, 2025 — PITTSBURGH – The Ohio Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion partnered with four Hacking for Defense students at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to increase Armed Services Vocational... MORE

LTC Michael Antonas of the Ohio Army National Guard presented a challenge coin Feb. 26 to four Hacking for Defense students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh for their work on a project to help recruiting efforts.

Iowa Air Guard’s 132nd Security Forces Squadron Conducts Annual Training in Hawaii

Wisconsin Air Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing Partners With UW Health for Medical Airmen Training

Connecticut Army Guard Partners With Coast Guard to Dislodge Beached Buoy

Minnesota Guard Among First to Field Army’s Newest M250 Automatic Rifle

Soldier’s Medal Awarded to Georgia Guardsman Who Pulled Driver From Burning SUV