Guard News - The National Guard

New York Airmen Awarded Medals for Afghanistan Evacuation
April 6, 2023 — NEWBURGH, N.Y. – U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. recognized 17 Airmen from the 105th Airlift Wing April 1 for their bravery during the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.Master... MORE

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. presents the aircrew led by U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert Dana with the Air Medal during an award ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, April 1, 2023. Seventeen Airmen from the 105th were awarded the Air Medal for their actions during the August 2021 evacuation of Americans and Afghans from Afghanistan.

Air Force Chief of Staff to Honor 105th Airlift Wing Airmen
March 29, 2023 — STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NEWBURGH, NEW YORK - Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. will recognize 17 New York Air National Guard Airmen on April 1 for their bravery and teamwork... MORE

Afghan evacuees leave a U.S. C-17 Globemaster after arriving to Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Aug. 26, 2021. The Department of Defense supported the evacuation of U.S. citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants and other at-risk individuals from Afghanistan.

Vermont Guardsmen reflect on Operation Allies Refuge
March 10, 2022 — COLCHESTER, Vt. – When Vermont National Guard Spcs. Ryan Moon and Riley Benoit deployed to Southwest Asia with Task Force Avalanche, the mortarmen did not anticipate a 12-day mission in Afghanistan,... MORE

National Guard Soldiers from the Minnesota-based 34th Infantry Division pack a U.S. Air Force-operated C-17 in August 2021following the completion of their mission in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Afghan evacuee joins Indiana National Guard
March 4, 2022 — INDIANAPOLIS - An Afghan evacuee who supported U.S. troops overseas enlisted into the Indiana National Guard during a ceremony at the Indianapolis Military Entry Processing Station in Lawrence March... MORE

Recruit Mohammad Zaki Ahmadi swears into the Indiana National Guard as U.S. Army Capt. Aissata Diallo administers the oath of enlistment in Indianapolis March 3, 2022. Ahmadi was one of approximately 7,000 Afghan evacuees who filtered through Camp Atterbury as part of Operation Allies Welcome.

New Jersey Air Guard supports Operation Allies Welcome
January 3, 2022 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – More than 80 New Jersey Air National Guard Citizen-Airmen from the 108th Wing and 177th Fighter Wing have supported Operation Allies Welcome at Liberty Village... MORE

U.S. Air Force Col. Bernadette Maldonado and Lt. Col. April Doolittle, New Jersey Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 108th Wing, walk with an Afghan girl in Liberty Village on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Nov. 8, 2021.

Year in Review: National Guard delivered at home and abroad
December 22, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. – When a series of tornadoes slashed across parts of eight Midwest states late in the evening of Dec. 10, Spc. Zach Neisz sprang into action. He grabbed an ax, flashlight and medical... MORE

New Jersey National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry Regiment, 508th Military Police Company, 108th Wing, and 177th Fighter Wing, arrive near the U.S. Capitol Jan. 12, 2021. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from every state, territory and the District of Columbia traveled to Washington to support federal and district authorities for the 59th Presidential Inauguration.

144th Fighter Wing Airmen return from OAW deployment
December 17, 2021 — FRESNO, Calif. – Four Airmen from the California Air National Guard's 144th Fighter Wing recently returned from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, where they assisted evacuated Afghan... MORE

From left, California Air National Guard Senior Airman Valerie Malcom and Airmen 1st Class Cody Schlenzig and Joshua Lloyd, 144th Fighter Wing, at the Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif., Dec. 4, 2021. The Airmen volunteered to participate in Operation Allies Welcome, assisting evacuated Afghan refugees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Alaska Airman embraces Operation Allies Welcome mission
December 13, 2021 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Airman 1st Class Jessicah Sharp, an Alaska Air National Guard aerospace medical technician with the 168th Medical Group at Eielson Air Force Base, volunteered... MORE

Airman 1st Class Jessicah Sharp, an aerospace medical technician with the 168th Medical Group in the Alaska Air National Guard, poses for a photo during her first drill back in Alaska from Operation Allies Welcome at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, which she participated in from Sept. 10 to Oct. 31.

29th Infantry Division moves 5,000 Afghans through Kuwait
November 5, 2021 — CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – On a particularly hazy mid-September day in Kuwait, Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general of Task Force Spartan and the National Guard’s Virginia-based 29th Infantry... MORE

Afghan evacuees board a U.S.-chartered flight for their destination after a two-week stay in Kuwait, where they received medical screenings and were processed by Task Force Spartan personnel. Approximately 5,000 evacuees processed through Kuwait.

Indiana National Guard supports Operation Allies Welcome
October 28, 2021 — CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. – Approximately 150 Indiana National Guard members and employees continue to work at Camp Atterbury to support Afghan nationals in the Operation Allies Welcome program. The... MORE

Afghan evacuees arrive in Indianapolis Sept. 2, 2021, as 1st Cavalry Division Soldiers watch. Hoosiers will host the Afghans at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, as they begin their safe resettlement to the United States. The division Soldiers along with Indiana National Guard Soldiers will provide transportation, temporary housing, medical screening and logistics support as part of Operation Allies Welcome.

National Guard aids Afghan evacuees in Operation Allies Welcome
October 8, 2021 — ARLINGTON, Va. - National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from throughout the nation continue to support Operation Allies Welcome, assisting Afghans as they safely resettle in the United States.Operation... MORE

U.S. Army Cpl. Sean Jackett, left, and Spc. Zackary Jensen, Wisconsin Army National Guard linguists, create signs in Dari and Pashto, Aug. 25, 2021, to place in a welcome area for Afghan people arriving at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center near Camp Douglas, Wisconsin.

Operation Allies Welcome cultivates multicultural calling
October 5, 2021 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N. J. - It would be easy to overlook Air Force Staff Sgt. Sharon Queenie, inconspicuous in her OCP uniform, N-95 mask and orange safety vest, blending in with nearly... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgts. Sharon Queenie, left, and Judy Phommathep, assigned to the 176th Air Defense Squadron, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, during a break as public safety team members at TF Liberty Village 3, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Sept. 19, 2021.

New York National Guard Airman helps deliver Afghan baby
October 4, 2021 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – The woman’s foot pressed into the top of the Airman’s collarbone where it connected at her right shoulder.In the Airman’s other hand was a cell phone hoisted... MORE

New York Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Scarlett Yates, assigned to the 106th Air Rescue Wing, sorts through donated books for Afghan children at the temporary medical isolation dormitory at Liberty Village, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Sept. 27, 2021.  Yates helped deliver an Afghan baby at the base Sept. 7.

Washington Air Guard command chiefs serve Afghan guests
September 29, 2021 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Two command chiefs from the Washington Air National Guard volunteered to support Operation Allies Welcome by leading a temporary community at Joint Base... MORE

Washington Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. Marvin Boyd, center, assigned to Washington Air National Guard Headquarters, Camp Murray, Wash., and the senior enlisted leader overseeing Liberty Village 3, helps unload donated items from New Jersey residents, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Sept. 20, 2021.  The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at facilities across the nation.

Indiana Guardsman serves as link between Americans, Afghans
September 23, 2021 — EDINBURGH, Ind.— An Indiana National Guard Soldier, who’s working in support of Operation Allies Welcome at Camp Atterbury, serves as a critical link between his fellow Soldiers and Afghan... MORE

Indiana National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Stringer interprets for an Afghan guest during medical screening, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021, at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

National Guard teams up with active duty, reserve to support Operation Allies Welcome
September 21, 2021 — JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N. J. – Since August 2021, Afghan evacuees have been arriving at several U.S. military installations across the country. These secure locations are an entry point for... MORE

Washington Air National Guard Master Sgt. Andy Remis, assigned to the 116th Air Support Operations Squadron, Camp Murray, Wash., lends a helping hand, holding an Afghan child at the Task Force Liberty Village medical station, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Sept. 11, 2021.  The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (National Guard photo by Master Sgt. John Hughel, Washington Air National Guard)

Air Guard Airmen assist in emergency delivery of baby born to Afghan guest
September 20, 2021 — McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base, N.J.—The symbol of our country is a woman, a mother, who would sacrifice anything for the sake of her children. This symbol is no accident. Through a stroke of... MORE

Wyoming Air National Guard Administrative Specialists Senior Master Sgt. Jennifer Ballenger and Tech. Sgt. Shyloh Vallot with New York Air Guard, 2nd Lt. Kristin Harosia just after they assisted the emergency delivery of a baby born to an Afghan guest of Operation Allies Welcome at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Air Force Base, New Jersey.

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.

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.

Afghan evacuees arrive in Indiana, head to Camp Atterbury
September 3, 2021 — CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. – Afghan evacuees arrived in the Hoosier state Sept. 2, on their way to Camp Atterbury as part of Operation Allies Welcome.In support of these Afghan evacuees, the Department of... MORE

North Carolina, North Dakota, Maine Honored for State Partnership Work

Oregon Guard Sharpens Combat Skills Before Deployment

Alaska Army Guard, Marine Corps Enhance Aviation Tactics

Guard Chief Visits Pennsylvania Guard, Aviation Training Site

Kentucky, Tennessee Win Regional Best Warrior Competition