Guard News - The National Guard

Illinois National Guard, Partners Train in Cyber Exercise
July 25, 2024 — SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - More than 50 Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, along with civilians from the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology and the Illinois State Board of Elections,... MORE

More than 50 Illinois National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, along with civilians from the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology and the Illinois State Board of Elections, returned recently from a major cyber training exercise sponsored by the National Guard Bureau. Close to 1,000 military and civilian local, state and federal cyber experts from 41 states and territories and 13 international partners participated in Cyber Shield 2024 May 31 to June 15 at the Virginia National Guard State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Va.

South Carolina Guard Bridging Unit Trains With Colombian Partners
July 25, 2024 — CLARKS HILL TRAINING SITE, S.C. – The sun glinted off the Savannah River as it meandered broadly along the South Carolina-Georgia border. Boats churned on the river’s otherwise placid waters while a... MORE

Maj. Jhon Chaparro, right, and Lt. Col. Jorge Flechas, second from left, both with the Colombian army’s engineer command, watch from a Combat Assault Craft as Soldiers with the 125th Multi-role Bridge Company, South Carolina Army National Guard assemble a raft on the Savannah River to move troops, vehicles, and equipment across the river as part of a training mission at Clarks Hill Training Site, S.C., July 17, 2024. The Colombian soldiers were observing the training as part of an exchange through the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program.

Blue Pacific Events Keep Nevada Bilateral Affairs Officer Busy
July 23, 2024 — SUVA, Fiji - A glance at the packed schedule of events in July and this fall underlined the importance of a bilateral affairs officer in the Nevada National Guard.For Nevada’s longtime Army aviator,... MORE

NY Guard Civil Support Teams Learn from Brazilian Counterparts
July 18, 2024 — RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - Thirty-five New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen worked with Brazilian soldiers to secure a major soccer tournament from a chemical, biological or radiological... MORE

U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Jonathan Morrison, assigned to the 24th Civil Support Team, New York National Guard, puts a simulated casualty on a litter with Brazilian Army soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, Defense Quimica Biological Radiological Nuclear, during Operation Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, July 12, 2024. Operation Maracana is a training exercise between the NYNG and Brazilian Armed Forces at the Maracanã stadium in preparation for the World Cup in 2026.

Guard, International Partners Train on Cyber Skills in Slovenia
July 17, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. – More than 140 National Guard members from six states worked alongside international partners in a cyber training exercise to expand interoperability and track and eliminate cyber... MORE

Maryland Army National Guard Sgt. Emmanuel Unaka, cyber threat intelligence analyst with Cyber Protection Team 169, listens to Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina Lt. Armin Kolašinac, a Security Operations Center member, during the Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation exercise at the Slovenian Armed Forces Baron Andrej Čehovin barracks in Postojna, Slovenia, July 5, 2024. The two-week cybersecurity training event included 60 representatives from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Slovenia and North Macedonia and their National Guard State Partnership Program counterparts from New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, Iowa, Maine and Colorado, respectively.

Vermont National Guard Enhances Medical Readiness in Senegal
July 17, 2024 — TAMBACOUNDA, Senegal - The Vermont National Guard has embarked on a critical mission to enhance medical readiness in its ranks and in Senegal as part of the MedRex medical exercise. This year’s... MORE

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Taylor Johnson, optometry specialist, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, conducts eye exams at the Tambacounda regional medical center in Tambacounda, Senegal, June 8, 2024. The Vermont National Guard was in Senegal for an annual medical readiness exercise with its State Partnership Program partner.

New York National Guard Enters State Partnership with Sweden
July 15, 2024 — NEW YORK - The New York National Guard and the Swedish military entered into a joint training agreement July 12 as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program during a ceremony in New York... MORE

Leaders from the New York National Guard and the Swedish military sign an agreement for joint training as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program at New York’s Freedom Tower July 12, 2024. Maj. Gen. Ray Shields, left, the adjutant general of New York; Pal Jonson, Sweden's Minister for Defence; Marcos Soler, deputy secretary for public safety for the state of New York; and Maj. Gen. Johan Pekkari, Sweden’s Chief of Policy and Plans, sign the document. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Stephanie Butler)

National Guard Participates in Adriatic Cyber Exercise in Slovenia
July 10, 2024 — POSTOJNA, Slovenia - Approximately 50 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from six states participated in the Adriatic Regional Security Cyber Cooperation exercise with their armed forces partners from... MORE

Michigan Guard, Latvia Collaborate on Airfield Capabilities
July 8, 2024 — LIELFVARDE, Latvia - Airmen from the Michigan Air National Guard are on a critical mission in Latvia during the first two weeks of June, collaborating to bolster the capabilities of Lielvarde Airfield... MORE

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ted Schroeder, 507th Engineer Battalion, project officer in charge, discusses the potential wet-gap training area with Latvian Armed Forces leadership during the design phase of the Selija Military Training Area in Latvia, June 5, 2024. Michigan Army National Guard Army Corp of Engineers will collaborate with Latvian Zemessardze Engineers over the next several years, contributing to the Selonia Training Area at each development phase.

Tennessee National Guard Band Performs in Bulgaria
July 3, 2024 — SOFIA, Bulgaria – Tennessee Army National Guardsmen assigned to the 129th Army Band partnered with former members of the 572nd Air National Guard Band to celebrate U.S. Independence Day at the U.S... MORE

Airmen and Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard pose in front of the KC-135 Stratotanker crewed by Arizona National Guard's 161st Air Refueling Wing before departing Nashville for Sofia, Bulgaria, June 28, 2024, to support U.S. European Command’s U.S. Independence Day celebrations. The 129th Army National Guard Band, supplemented by former members of the 572nd Air National Guard Band, performed at the event.

Kentucky Guard Engineers Support Djibouti Armed Forces
June 27, 2024 — CAMP DODGE, Iowa – Engineers from the Kentucky Army National Guard welcomed their counterparts from the Djibouti Armed Forces during the unit’s annual training event at Camp Dodge.The Kentucky... MORE

U.S. Army Capt. Colby Davis, the commander of the 130th Engineer Support Company, explains the planning phases of construction projects to engineer officers of the Djibouti Armed Forces at Camp Dodge, Iowa, May 15, 2024. The DAF visited the Kentucky Army National Guard's 206th Engineer Battalion's annual training to learn how to set up battalion-level engineer operations.

National Guard Members Test Skills at Cyber Shield 2024
June 27, 2024 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Almost 1,000 participants flooded the Virginia National Guard State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach for the longest-running and largest Department of Defense cyber defense... MORE

Cyber Shield participants conduct the Certified Cyber Exercise Assessor Course during the annual Cyber Shield training event at the Virginia National Guard’s State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach June 6, 2024. Over 900 National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers, Airmen, civilian cyber professionals, and international partners participated in the exercise.

North Carolina Guard, Moldova Join Forces for Cyber Shield 2024
June 27, 2024 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Moldovan officers returned to America for a second consecutive year to join North Carolina National Guardsmen during the annual Cyber Shield training event at Virginia National... MORE

North Carolina National Guardsmen from the North Carolina Joint Force Headquarters and Moldovan officers pose for a photo during the annual Cyber Shield training event at the Virginia National Guard’s State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach June 13, 2024. Cyber Shield is the longest running and largest Department of Defense cyber exercise comprising nearly 1,000 National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers, Airmen, civilian cyber professionals, and international partners.

North Dakota Guard, Togo Reinforce Resilience, Disaster Response
June 27, 2024 — LOMÉ, Togo - Senior Togolese officials from the Ministry of Security and the National Civil Protection Agency — called ANPC, based on its official name in French - l’Agence Nationale de la Protection... MORE

Maj. Gen. Alan Dorhmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and Republic of Togo Minister of Security and Civil Protection Calixte Batossie Madjoulba unveil a monument during a ceremony celebrating construction starting on the new National Emergency Operations Center being built in Lomé, Togo, June 26, 2024. Togolese and U.S. officials joined to celebrate the project, which is funded through the U.S. Africa Command’s Humanitarian Assistance program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managing the construction project.

Guam National Guard Trains with Armed Forces of Philippines
June 26, 2024 — MACTAN, Philippines - The Guam National Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, partners in the State Partnership Program, conducted a mass-casualty field training exercise June 6-10.After four... MORE

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines conduct a mass-casualty exercise with the Guam National Guard on Mactan Island, Philippines, June 15, 2024. Guam and the Philippines have been partners under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program since 2000.

New Jersey Guard’s 177th Fighter Wing Hosts Partner Cyprus
June 21, 2024 — ATLANTIC CITY AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.J. - Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team technicians with the 70th Combat Engineer Battalion of the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus visited the 177th... MORE

First Sgt. Akakios Pelekanos, right, and 1st Lt. Andreas Pavlou, explosive ordnance disposal team technicians with the 70th Combat Engineer Battalion of the National Guard of the Republic of Cyprus, prepare small explosive charges for detonation June 11, 2024, at the Warren Grove Gunnery Range, Warren Grove, New Jersey. The Cypriot guardsmen and the 177th Civil Engineers Squadron EOD team detonated the explosives during a training event that simulated clearing a runway of explosives dropped by enemy forces.

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.

NY National Guard Strengthens Bonds with Allies in Morocco
June 12, 2024 — TANTAN, Morocco - More than 480 New York National Guard Soldiers trained alongside other U.S. troops and allies in the Moroccan desert May 21-31, strengthening one of America’s oldest international... MORE

A Moroccan Royal Armed Forces Soldier and Spc. Vanessa Nanevie, a combat medic specialist assigned to Charlie Company, 427th Brigade Support Battalion, 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, New York National Guard, learn to safely assemble explosives as part of demolition training provided by 6th Engineer Support Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Corps Forces during exercise African Lion in Tantan, Morocco, May 28, 2024. African Lion 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), running from April 19 to May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, with over 9,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents.

Western Air Defense Sector Wraps Up Enduring Partners Exercise
June 11, 2024 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Airmen from the Royal Thai Air Force and the Washington Air National Guard’s 225th Air Defense Squadron participated in a subject matter expert exchange during the... MORE

Royal Thai Air Force Gp. Capt. Piriyathrone Suwanruji presents Col. Antony Braun, 225th Air Defense Group commander, and Master Sgt. Matthew Brosius, 225th Air Defense Squadron NCOIC Plans & Operations, with a memento to commemorate Enduring Partners 2024 at the Western Air Defense Sector, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, May 3, 2024. EP24 is an engagement to improve readiness and combined and joint interoperability between the RTAF and WAANG.

Pennsylvania Guard, Lithuania Strengthen Partnership
June 7, 2024 — SIAULIAI, Lithuania - State Partnership Program partners Pennsylvania and Lithuania shared best practices and capabilities over four days in Lithuania, strengthening their enduring relationship.From... MORE

Missouri Airmen Provide Airlift in Central American Exercise

Washington Guard Improves Park Through Innovative Readiness Training

State Partnership Program Enables Global, Shared ‘Peace through Strength’

California Army Guard Members Reflect on LA Federal Protective Mission

Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike Mission