Guard News - The National Guard

Utah Guard, Morocco Partners Provide Medical Care in African Lion
May 19, 2026 — EL FAID, Morocco – Utah National Guardsmen and the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces redefined what partnership looks like through shared expertise, innovation and expanding access to impactful care, under... MORE

A group of U.S service members and Royal Moroccan Armed Forces perform care on a newborn baby after an emergency cesarean section during an African Lion 26 humanitarian civic assistance mission at El Faid, Morocco, April 30, 2026.

New York Guard, Sweden Strengthen Partnership at Exercise Northern Lights
May 15, 2026 — KUNGSÄNGEN, Sweden – Eighty New York Army National Guard Soldiers spent their annual training working alongside Swedish soldiers in Sweden's sprawling forests.Instead of spending their two weeks of... MORE

A Swedish Armed Forces service member, left, speaks with a New York Army National Guard Soldier with Troop C, 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, during exercise Northern Lights 26, April 28, 2026, in Habo-Tibble, Sweden.

South Dakota Guard, Suriname Partners Conclude Operation Rumble in the Jungle
May 13, 2026 — PARAMARIBO, Suriname – South Dakota National Guard Soldiers and their Suriname partners have concluded Operation Rumble in the Jungle, a joint exercise that included testing the forces' ability to... MORE

Suriname Armed Forces Sgt. First Class Alvaro Ronoreso teaches survival techniques to U.S. Soldiers and Airmen, as well as Suriname Armed Forces members, during Operation Rumble in the Jungle at Ayoko, Suriname, April 17, 2026.

Indiana Guard, Slovak Soldiers Dominate in Shooting Competition
May 12, 2026 — INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana National Guardsmen and Slovak soldiers teamed up at a recent shooting competition, continuing their enduring partnership in a dominant fashion."By integrating our forces in this... MORE

Indiana National Guard Master Sgt. Thuc Tran, the operations sergeant for Indiana's State Partnership Program, Sgt. Ondrej Macak and Sgt. 1st Class Matus Fulop, soldiers with the Slovak Armed Forces, pose for a photo at Camp Atterbury, near Edinburgh, Indiana, April 4, 2026.

African Lion 2026 Brings Vermont National Guard State Partnership Program Partners Together for MEDREX in Senegal
May 11, 2026 — ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal – Military medical personnel from Senegal, the United States, Austria and Italy trained together across three hospitals in southern Senegal during Exercise African Lion 2026.The... MORE

U.S. Army Capt. Nicholas LeBeau, a nurse with the Vermont Army National Guard, assists Senegalese medical providers while closing an incision following an emergency cesarean section during a multinational medical readiness exercise, or MEDREX, in Ziguinchor, Senegal, May 6, 2026.

Vermont National Guard Conducts Key Leader Engagements With Senegal Partners Ahead of 2027 Medical Exercise
May 7, 2026 — THIÈS, Senegal – Vermont National Guard leaders conducted a pre-deployment site survey in Thiès, Senegal, May 3-4, to assess regional healthcare capabilities and coordinate planning for Medical... MORE

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gene Enriquez, State Partnership Program director with the Vermont National Guard, greets Dr. Amadou Mbaye Diouf, chief physician, during a key leader engagement in Thiès, Senegal, May 4, 2026, to discuss regional healthcare priorities and inform planning for a 2027 medical readiness exercise.

Hawaii, Philippine Aircrews Strengthen Partnership Through Flight
May 6, 2026 — CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines – Beneath the steady rhythm of rotor blades and shared purpose, Hawaii National Guard and Philippine Air Force aviators came together for a Rotary Wing Subject Matter... MORE

Philippine Air Force Sgt. Julius Chun Manasan, left, mechanic assigned to the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing; U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Christopher Pacheco, center left, senior mechanic and standardization instructor assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard; Philippine Air Force Lt. Col. John Paul Delgado, center, commander of the 210th Tactical Training Squadron; and U.S. Army Maj. John Worthington, right, Army Aviation Support Facility commander, standardization pilot and instrument examiner assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard, pose for a photo in front of a Philippine Air Force S-70i Black Hawk helicopter during a Rotary Wing Subject Matter Expert Exchange Clark Air Base, Philippines, April 15, 2026.

Washington Guard Leaders Engage Troops, Partners in Indo-Pacific Visit
May 4, 2026 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. – Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, and Command Chief Master Sgt. Allan Lawson, the senior enlisted for the Washington... MORE

Royal Thai Army Senior Colonel Teeragut Sengrod, commander of the 11th Infantry Division, Royal Thai Army, or RTA, meets with U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, at an RTA base in Chon Buri, Thailand, April 10, 2026.

Alabama Guard, Romanian Air Force Strengthen Partnership
May 4, 2026 — DANNELLY FIELD, Ala. – The Alabama National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing hosted Romanian Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Leonard-Gabriel Baraboi and Brig. Gen. Florin Tomiuc, Romanian defense attaché, in... MORE

Romanian Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Leonard Baraboi, left, and Col. John D. Caldwell, commander of the 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, meet April 9, 2026, at Dannelly Field, Alabama.

Hawaiian Raptors Enhance Interoperability During Cope Thunder
April 29, 2026 — CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines – For more than 90 Airmen from the 199th Air Expeditionary Squadron, Exercise Cope Thunder 26-1, conducted April 6-17, was more than just another deployment; it was an... MORE

Philippine Air Force 5th Fighter Wing pilots welcome U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard pilots assigned to the 199th Air Expeditionary Squadron, comprising the 19th Fighter Squadron and 199th Fighter Squadron, following arrival at exercise Cope Thunder 26-1 at Basa Air Base, Philippines, April 3, 2026.

Washington Guard Transfers Strykers to Bulgarian Land Forces
April 23, 2026 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – With the ongoing transformation of the 81st Brigade from a Stryker to a Mobile Brigade, the Washington National Guard transferred eight Strykers to the Bulgarian Land Forces... MORE

Brig. Gen. Paul Sellars, commanding general, Washington Army National Guard, sits down with Evgeni Mandadzhiev, reporter with the Ministry of Defense Information Center, to introduce the Stryker Fighting Vehicles and discuss the role of the National Guard in supporting the Bulgarian Land Forces, April 15, 2026, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Minnesota Guard, Croatia Partners Participate in Best Warrior Competition
April 22, 2026 — LITTLE FALLS, Minn. – Twenty-seven Minnesota Guard members, along with Canadian and Croatian soldiers, tested their skills April 15-18 during harsh weather conditions in the 2026 Minnesota Best... MORE

Minnesota Army National Guard Spc. Bronson Stachowiak, from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, who serves as a unit supply specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 682nd Engineer Battalion is one of 27 service members from the Minnesota National Guard and NATO allied nations Canada and Croatia who participated in the 2026 Minnesota Best Warrior Competition April 15-18, 2026, at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, Minnesota.

Kentucky Guard, Ecuador Share Disaster Response Tactics
April 16, 2026 — LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seven members of the Ecuadorian armed services visited Kentucky recently to learn more about how the Kentucky National Guard responds to emergencies and to share their own disaster... MORE

A U.S. Army Soldier from the Kentucky National Guard’s 41st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team demonstrates equipment used to test for hazardous airborne isotopes for members of the Ecuadorian military at the Kentucky Air National Guard base in Louisville, Ky., March 9, 2026.

Washington Air Guard Strengthens Ties During Thai Leadership Visit
April 15, 2026 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – The Washington Air National Guard hosted Royal Thai Air Force commander-in-chief Air Chief Marshal Sakesan Kantha April 13, advancing a more than two-decade partnership focused on... MORE

Brig. Gen. Ken Borchers, Commander, Washington Air National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General, Washington National Guard, presents gifts to Air Chief Marshal Sakesan Kantha, Commander-in-Chief, Royal Thai Air Force, during a visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., April 13, 2026.

Texas Guard, Chile Strengthen Partnership at FIDAE Air and Space Show
April 13, 2026 — SANTIAGO, Chile - The Texas Air National Guard joined more than 100 airmen from across the globe to showcase its capabilities April 7-12 at the Feria Internacional del Aire y Espacio, or FIDAE,... MORE

Chilean Defense Minister Fernando Barros arrives for the opening ceremony at the Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio, or FIDAE, 2026 in Santiago, Chile, April 7, 2026.

Washington Guard, Thai Partners Expand Disaster Response Capabilities
April 9, 2026 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Soldiers from the Washington Army National Guard joined Thai partners for a week-long subject matter expert exchange at the Port of Laem Chabang and Sri Racha Hospital, March 2-9,... MORE

Firefighters from the Port of Laem Chabang participate in subject matter expert exchange with Soldiers from the Washington Army National Guard at the Port of Laem Chabang and Sri Racha Hospital, Thailand, March 7, 2026.

Florida National Guard Partners with Greece in State Partnership Program
April 8, 2026 — SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The Florida National Guard has been designated as Greece’s partner in the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, or SPP, establishing a long-term... MORE

Polish Soldier Wins Illinois National Guard Best Warrior Competition
April 6, 2026 — MARSEILLES, Ill. – Polish Territorial Defense Forces Soldier Mateusz, whose rank and surname have been omitted to comply with the Polish Territorial Defense Forces policy, traveled across the Atlantic... MORE

Command Sgt. Maj. Michael R. Kelly, the senior enlisted leader of the Illinois Army National Guard, presents the Illinois Army National Guard’s 2026 Soldier of the Year award to Polish Territorial Defense Forces Soldier Mateusz. Competitors from the Illinois National Guard and the Polish Territorial Defense Force, partnered through the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, participated in the 2026 Illinois Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition held March 26-29, 2026, at the Marseilles Training Area. Photo by Sgt. Haesi Fanizzo.

Indiana Guard, Slovak Partners Strengthen Ties, Conduct Air Training
March 31, 2026 — TUCSON, Ariz. – The 122nd Fighter Wing with the Indiana Air National Guard and Slovak Air Force took part in an air-to-air joint training Exchange of Experience exercise Feb. 12-17, at Davis-Monthan... MORE

A F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft pilot assigned to the Slovak Armed Forces shakes hands with a U.S. Air Force crew chief after a joint training flight at Morris Air National Guard Base, Tucson, Arizona, Feb. 15, 2026.

Massachusetts Guard Leaders Join Kenyan Partners at African Land Forces Summit
March 31, 2026 — ROME – Senior leaders from the Massachusetts National Guard attended the African Land Forces Summit, or ALFS, in Rome, Italy, March 23-24, alongside senior leaders of the Kenya Defence Forces, marking... MORE

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, right, and Kenyan Defence Forces, or KDF, Lt. Gen. David Ketter, the commander of the Kenyan Army, shake hands during the African Land Forces Summit in Rome, Italy, March 23, 2026.

Pennsylvania Guard Helps Shape Army’s Extended Basic Leader Course

Kentucky Guard Enhances Lethality at Arcane Thunder

Arizona Guard Team Earns Awards for Combat Readiness

Massachusetts Guard Strengthens Disaster Response Capabilities

National Guard Day at Nationals Park Celebrates Guard Service, Community