Guard News - The National Guard

Wash. Guard, Thai Partners Prepare for the Unexpected During Disaster Relief Exchange
October 4, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Members of the Washington Army National Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Washington Emergency Management Division hosted a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster... MORE

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Keith Kosik, Washington National Guard State Partnership Program director and Lt. Col. Joel Johnson, Washington bilateral affairs officer, Thailand, deliver an introduction to the Washington Military Department to members of the Royal Thai Army during a humanitarian aid and disaster relief subject matter expert exchange on Camp Murray, Wash., Sept. 24, 2024.

Washington Guard, Thailand Collaborate on Stryker Readiness
September 25, 2024 — CHON BURI, Thailand - The 1st Battalion, 205th Regimental Training Institute, Washington National Guard, and the 112th Stryker Regiment, Royal Thai Army, strengthened their partnership during a... MORE

Members of the 205th Regimental Training Institute, Washington National Guard, strengthened the partnership with the 112th Stryker Regiment, Royal Thai Army, during a Stryker maintenance exchange in Chon Buri, Thailand, Sept. 7–19, 2024.

Washington Guard Hosts Female Royal Thai Air Force Officers
September 13, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - The Washington Air National Guard hosted the first engagement for female leaders in the Royal Thai Air Force Sept. 9-13 at Camp Murray.The engagement aimed to empower female... MORE

Washington Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kristin Retherford, 10th Civil Support Team survey team leader, gives Royal Thai Air Force officers a tour of the 10th CST facilities during a State Partnership Program engagement Sept. 11, 2024, at Camp Murray, Wash. The tour was part of the first female leadership-focused exchange with RTAF since Washington’s formal relationship with the Kingdom of Thailand began in 2002.

Washington Guardsmen Shine at Mechanic of Year Competition
September 12, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Vehicle maintenance often happens in a shop, in the field or on the side of a road, but never in front of an audience and never for any recognition.Staff Sgts. Ian Wilding, Delta... MORE

Staff Sgts. Ian Wilding, Delta Company 141st Brigade Support Battalion, and Chris Yoder, Fox Company 181st Brigade Support Battalion, show off their awards following the 2024 National Guard Best Mechanic of the Year competition at Camp Williams, Utah, Aug. 25, 2024. Wilding took top honors; Yoder finished fourth out of 26 competitors.

Guard Partnership Exchange Strengthens Security at Thai Port
September 6, 2024 — LAEM CHABANG, Thailand - Eight Washington National Guard members recently visited the Port of Laem Chabang in the longest-running exchange in the 22-year State Partnership Program relationship between... MORE

Group photo at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, Aug. 22, 2024.

Washington National Guard, Thai Airmen Strengthen Ties
August 15, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - The Washington Air National Guard, Pacific Air Forces and Royal Thai Air Force wrapped up the 11th Airman-to-Airman talks at Camp Murray Aug. 8.“It’s been a great week and always... MORE

Participants in the 11th annual Airman-to-Airman talks between the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force pose for a photo at Camp Murray, Wash., Aug. 7, 2024. The talks focused on air mobility, interoperability and space force programs.

Washington Guard Shares Aviation Expertise with Thai Partners
August 14, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Four Washington National Guard members from 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, shared aviation maintenance knowledge with their partners in the Royal Thai Army’s 9th... MORE

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Chris Cuddington, pilot, 1st Battalion, 168th General Support Aviation, talks with his counterparts from the 9th Aviation Battalion during an aviation subject matter expert exchange in Lop Buri, Thailand, July 31, 2024.

Special Ops Detachment - Pacific Takes Top LEAPFEST Honors
August 9, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - A team from Special Operations Detachment – Pacific took top honors during Leapfest 2024, the largest military parachuting competition of its kind, at North Kingstown, Rhode... MORE

Lt. Col. Denny Frey, Special Operations Detachment - Pacific, with Malaysian counterparts following their first successful jump during LEAPFEST 2024 in Rhode Island Aug. 2, 2024.

Washington Guard, Royal Thai Army Conduct Expert Exchange
June 14, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - The Washington Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 205th Regimental Training Institute, sent Stryker subject matter instructors to Chon Buri, Thailand, to enhance its partnership... MORE

Staff Sgt. Daniel Corser, 1st Battalion, 205th Regimental Training Institute, Washington National Guard, observes members of the 112th Stryker Regiment, Royal Thai Army, while they conduct recovery operations during a Stryker subject matter exchange in Chon Buri, Thailand, May 6-17, 2024.

Malaysia, Washington Guard Strengthen Partnership at Bersama Warrior 2024
June 6, 2024 — KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The 10th annual Bersama Warrior exercise began June 1 with an opening ceremony led by Malaysian Armed Forces leaders and U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers, director... MORE

Washington National Guard and Malaysian Armed Forces members participate in the Bersama Warrior 2024 opening ceremonies June 1, 2024, at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Washington Guard and Malaysia have been partners under the State Partnership Program since 2017.

Washington National Guardsman Reconnects with Palauan Roots
May 31, 2024 — KOROR, Palau - Air Force Maj. Marvin Yamada Jr. was born on Guam, a 30-mile-long island in the Western Pacific Ocean — a place, it is said, where America’s day begins — to two native Palauans. Today,... MORE

From right to left, Air Force Maj. Marvin Yamada Jr., a mission crew commander in the Western Air Defense Sector, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of the National Guard Bureau; Yamada's father and Command Sgt. Maj. Celso Leonen, command senior enlisted leader for the Guam National Guard, pose during a ceremony at the Ngarachamayong Cultural Center in downtown Koror, Palau, April 29, 2024. Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, and Army National Guard Col. Michael Cruz, adjutant general of the Guam National Guard, signed a declaration formalizing the nation's newest state partnership between the U.S. territory of Guam and the Republic of Palau.

Washington Guard, Malaysia Conduct Air Assault Exchange
May 31, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - A recent engagement with Malaysia has laid the foundation for future State Partnership Program exchanges between the Special Operations Detachment Pacific, the 1161st Rigger... MORE

Members of teh Washington Army National Guard and Malaysian Army conducted an airborne operations and air assault operations subject matter exchange May 9-23, 2024, in Malacca, Malaysia. The two are partners in the State Partnership Program.

Washington Army Guard, Partners Train on Air Rescues
May 31, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - As Washington National Guard helicopter crews can confirm, emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time in the state. Hikers slide down cliffs and a routine walk on a nature trail... MORE

Washington Army National Guard aviation crew members and Central Pierce County Fire and Rescue near Crystal Mountain Ski Resort in Washington, May 15, 2024. The Guard and first responders trained on air rescue operations.

10th Homeland Response Force Conducts Collective Training
May 21, 2024 — WARRENTON, Ore. - Last month, more than 350  Army and Air National Guardsmen from Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Oregon conducted a training exercise at Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center in... MORE

Airmen attached to the only all-Air Force Search and Extraction team learn about rope rescue during the 10th Homeland Response Force Sustainment Year Collective Training Exercise at Camp Rilea, Oregon, April 24, 2024.

In Thailand, Hokanson Sees Enduring Partners in Name and Practice
May 21, 2024 — BANGKOK –The National Guard’s top officer visited with Washington Guardsmen and Royal Thai Armed Forces troops training together May 7-9. The Washington National Guard has worked closely with Thailand... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, joins Army Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, Washington's adjutant general, to visit Washington National Guardsmen and Royal Thai Air Force members training together during exercise Enduring Partners 2024, Bangkok, Thailand, May 9, 2024.

Enduring Partners 2024 Begins with Thai-US Airmen Exchange
May 2, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - The second iteration of Enduring Partners commenced April 30 with an opening ceremony officiated by Royal Thai Air Force Group Captain Sithipol Pomtri, exercise director, and U.S... MORE

Royal Thai Air Force Group Capt. Sithipol Pomtri, left, deputy director, office of operations and training, and Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, Washington Air National Guard commander, exchange Enduring Partners 24 exercise uniform patches on Camp Murray, Wash., April 30, 2024. EP24 is an exercise between the Washington Air National Guard and the Royal Thai Air Force.

Washington Guard Assists with Collegiate Cyber Competition
April 1, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Washington Army National Guard Soldiers supported the 16th Annual Pacific Rim Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition at South Puget Sound Community College March... MORE

Washington National Guard members assist with the 16th Annual Pacific Rim Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition at South Puget Sound Community College March 22-24, 2024.

Ukraine Delegation Visits Washington National Guard Leaders
March 18, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - A delegation from Ukraine visited Washington National Guard leaders March 15 to thank them for supporting the country.“We know your unit deployed to Ukraine in 2021 to help our... MORE

Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers, left, director of the Joint Staff, Washington National Guard, shakes hands with Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, during a visit to Camp Murray, Wash., March 15, 2024. The visit to Camp Murray focused on sharing stories and building on friendship established during the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s 2021 deployment to Ukraine supporting the Joint Multinational Training Group - Ukraine mission.

81st SBCT Completes Command Post Exercise
March 8, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - The 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team tested its command processes and identified redundancies during a command post exercise at Camp Murray from Feb. 29 to March 3.“This was the... MORE

The 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and subordinate battalion during a command post exercise at the Pierce County Readiness Center, Camp Murray, Wash., Feb. 29, 2024.

Washington Guard Team Takes Honors at Biathlon Championship
February 29, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - A Washington National Guard biathlon team scored its first Cascade Cup victory and posted individual accomplishments by Majors Josh Jorgenson and Brendan Thompson during the... MORE

The Washington National Guard men's Patrol Team climbs an incline during the 50th anniversary Chief of the National Guard Bureau Biathlon Championships at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center Feb. 21, 2024. The Utah National Guard hosted the national biathlon competition consisting of cross-country skiing and competitive shooting events that tested the warriors’ endurance and marksmanship.

New York Air Guard Security Forces Train Augmentee Force

Nevada Air Guard Tests Disaster Response Capabilities

Alaska Air National Guard Rescues Injured Goat Hunter

Virginia Guard Aids Hurricane Response in Florida, Virginia

New York National Guard Troops Assist with Hurricane Response