Guard News - The National Guard

28th ECAB digging in for Mideast mission
September 30, 2020 — KUWAIT – Soldiers with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade have arrived in the U.S. Central Command region and are settling into their respective roles. They are in the Middle East, within... MORE

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter, operated by Soldiers with Bravo Company, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, takes off from an airfield for a local area orientation flight in the 28th ECAB's area of operations after arriving in the Middle East. These flights ensure 28th ECAB aircrews are properly acclimated and can conduct missions safely during the deployment.

56th SBCT holds annual training at Fort Indiantown Gap
September 25, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Headquarters and Headquarters Company conducted annual training Sept. 12-26.The training varied from Stryker driver training to mission... MORE

The guidon for the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Headquarters and Headquarters Company, based out of Horsham, Pa., posted outside its assigned headquarters building during annual training on Fort Indiantown Gap Sept. 12-26, 2020.

112th COS, Lithuania adapt with 1st remote SPP exercise
September 25, 2020 — PERKASIE, Pa. – Members of the 112th Cyberspace Operations Squadron at Horsham Air Guard Station participated in "Amber Mist," a week-long virtual cyber defense exercise to improve skills for... MORE

Members of the 112th Cyberspace Operations Squadron at Horsham Air Guard Station conduct a training exercise on Sept. 23, 2020, during a week-long remote cybersecurity exercise in Peraskie, Pennsylvania. Exercise Amber Mist, which normally takes place in Lithuania, was conducted remotely for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turning brass into cash: Recycling program boosts revenue
September 24, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Service members who have spent time at the rifle range know the day isn't over until the brass is policed. But where does it go? Expended brass shell casings are one of the... MORE

Boxes of expended brass shell casings await recycling at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., in this 2017 file photo.

28th ECAB hurdles challenges, completes training
September 17, 2020 — FORT HOOD, Texas – Despite COVID-19 challenges, Soldiers with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade completed training at Fort Hood to prepare for Operation Spartan Shield and Operation... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Brad Whitt, crew chief with Bravo Company, 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, sits on a ramp and looks at the sunset out the back of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter as it flies over the 28th ECAB's mobilization station at Fort Hood, Texas.

2/104th Cavalry conducts demolition, claymore mine training
August 19, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – A good number of Soldiers probably join the Army for the opportunity to blow stuff up.Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team,... MORE

A Pennsylvania National Guard Soldier from 2nd Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, uses an initiator to ignite detonation cord during demolition familiarization training Aug. 14, 2020, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.

Fort Indiantown Gap hosts officer candidate field exercise
August 17, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Officer candidates conducted their final Field Leadership Exercise (FLX) as they worked toward commissioning as officers in the Army National Guard Aug. 4-6.The candidates... MORE

Candidates from Officer Candidate School stand outside the church at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., training grounds during their Field Leadership Exercise (FLX) Aug. 6. Candidates were securing the church as part of their final exercise during the FLX.

Pennsylvania Guard aquatic rescue team saves two motorists
August 7, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team rescued two motorists stranded in rapidly rising water during flooding caused by Tropical Storm Isaias Aug. 4 in Berks... MORE

Pennsylvania National Guard Staff Sgt. Noah McElory looks out the window of the UH-60 Black Hawk containing the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team as it takes off from Muir Army Airfield, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., Aug. 4, 2020. The team saved two motorists from rising flood waters during Tropical Storm Isaias.

Pa. Guard helps return remains of Korean War Soldier
August 3, 2020 — PITTSBURGH – The Pennsylvania National Guard’s Military Funeral Honors detail participated in the repatriation of remains of a U.S. Army Soldier killed in the Korean War.The remains of Cpl. Jackey... MORE

The Pennsylvania National Guard’s Military Funeral Honors detail conducts a dignified transfer of remains for U.S. Army Cpl. Jackey Dale Blosser on July 30, 2020, at Pittsburgh International Airport. Blosser, of Randolph County, West Virginia, went missing in action Dec. 2, 1950, during the Korean War.

Fort Indiantown Gap scaling up operations
June 12, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Now that Pennsylvania has begun a phased reopening from the COVID-19 crisis, Fort Indiantown Gap has begun gradually increasing operations.The installation never completely... MORE

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Cody Greenawalt provides security during a convoy and IED avoidance training exercise. Countering improvised explosive devices is an essential skill that 28th ECAB Soldiers must fine-tune prior to deployment.

Father, son work together during pandemic
June 1, 2020 — STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Joseph Sapienza, director of maintenance/life safety for Pleasant Valley Manor nursing home, recently received word that someone very familiar to him would be coming to work at the... MORE

Sgt. Alec Sapienza, left, combat medic with the 108th Medical Area Support Company, 213th Regional Support Group, Pennsylvania National Guard, and his father Joseph Sapienza, director of maintenance/life safety for Pleasant Valley Manor nursing home in Stroudsburg, Pa., May 21, 2020. Alec and other members of the Pennsylvania National Guard are helping out at the nursing home.

Pa. National Guard launches COVID-19 testing task force
May 29, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The Pennsylvania National Guard has assembled a task force to conduct point prevalence sampling at nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the Commonwealth.The... MORE

Pennsylvania National Guard Staff Sgt. Kursty Campbell, left, and Pfc. Ryan Whispell, center, test a staff member at Kendal-Crosslands Nursing Home in Kennett Square, Pa., May 26, 2020.

Despite virus, 28th ECAB completes pre-deployment training
May 26, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Despite numerous adjustments to pre-deployment training due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade is ready for its upcoming deployment to... MORE

U.S. Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, stand in formation while adhering to social distancing guidelines and COVID-19 mitigation directives. The Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers completed pre-deployment training despite obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Army, Air officers bring different backgrounds to task force
May 20, 2020 — HORSHAM AIR GUARD STATION, Pa. – Col. Jon Farr is an Army armor officer who has multiple combat deployments under his belt and serves as the commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 56th Stryker... MORE

Col. Scott Coradi, left, and Col. Jon Farr discuss operational plans while overlooking a map of the area of operations for Pennsylvania Task Force South at Horsham Air Guard Station, Pennsylvania, May 2, 2020.

National Guard supports Brighton Rehab and Wellness Center
May 14, 2020 — BEAVER, Pa. – Soldiers and Airmen from the Pennsylvania National Guard are supporting the Brighton Rehab and Wellness Center, providing medical, administrative and cleaning services.The Pennsylvania... MORE

Pennsylvania National Guard members prepare to enter Brighton Rehab and Wellness Center in Beaver, Pennsylvania, May 10, 2020. About 40 Guard members are assisting with medical, administrative and cleaning services at the facility.

PA Air, Army Guard join together for ventilator training
May 13, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Soldiers and Airmen from the Pennsylvania National Guard joined forces for ventilator training at the Medical Simulation Training Center (MSTC) May 6. “We were working on... MORE

A control panel for a mannequin used during Pennsylvania National Guard ventilator training at the Medical Simulation Training Center, Fort Indiantown Gap, May 6, 2020.

Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers honored for aiding crash victim
May 12, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Two Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers were recognized for stopping to render first aid to a seriously injured motorcycle crash victim along Interstate 78.Pfc. Alyssa... MORE

Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers Pfc. Alyssa Cinquemani, a Black Hawk helicopter mechanic, and Cpl. Christopher Eppler, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic, stopped to render first aid to a motorcycle crash victim along Interstate 78 near Fort Indiantown Gap May 1, 2020.They were recognized for their actions with a coin presentation by Command Sgt. Maj. Harry Buchanan III, the Pennsylvania National Guard’s senior enlisted leader.

28th ECAB Soldier a nurse for COVID-19 patients
May 8, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – Spc. Kylee Pavlick, a combat medic with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard, is also a nurse on the front lines fighting against... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Kylee Pavlick, combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, Pennsylvania National Guard, stands in formation. Pavlick works full-time as a nurse at Geisinger Holy Spirit, a hospital near Harrisburg, and is caring for COVID-19 patients.

These Soldiers keep 28th ECAB safe as they prepare to deploy
May 4, 2020 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – As the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade prepares for deployment, Soldiers like Staff Sgt. Raymond Mutiso and Spc. Padric Marianos are working to prevent the spread... MORE

Staff Sgt. Raymond Mutiso, left, a combat medic with the 108th Area Medical Support Company, 213th Regional Support Group, and Spc. Padric Marianos, a construction engineer with the PAARNG Training Center, outside the 28th ECAB Armory. The 28th ECAB is to deploy soon and must gather for training. Soldiers like Mutiso and Marianos screen 28th ECAB Soldiers to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the formation.

PA Guard prioritizing safety at Wilkes-Barre COVID-19 test site
April 25, 2020 — WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – While the goal of the COVID-19 testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena is to test members of the Luzerne County community, the safety of those running the site is a high priority. The... MORE

Pennsylvania National Guard 2nd Lt. Brianna Stetts, medical operations officer for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, washes her hands after completing decontamination procedures at the COVID-19 testing site at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre April 21, 2020.

Idaho Guard Conducts Two Rescues in Nine Days

Connecticut Guard Soldier Aids Rollover Crash Victim in Dramatic Highway Rescue

Arkansas Air Guard Participates in REFORPAC 25 Exercise

Fox EMBER Sharpens Airmen’s Skills in Joint Environment

Puerto Rico Air Guard Conducts Deployment for Training at Aviano