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Guard Soldiers, Czech Partners Celebrate Victory in Europe Day
May 28, 2024
Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia National Guard Soldiers participated in a Victory in Europe celebration May 8, 2024, in Hranice, Czech Republic. The units mobilized to the Czech Republic under the command of the Virginia National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
Virginia Guard, Tajik Partners Conduct Mountain Warfare Exchange
May 22, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, conducted a mountain warfare exchange with Tajik military forces Apr. 29 to May 3, 2024, in Romit, Tajikistan. The exchange supported the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.
Maryland, Virginia Guardsmen Are Regional Best Warriors
May 13, 2024
Spc. Carter Cooper of the Virginia National Guard and Staff Sgt. Alexander Wilkinson-Johnson of the Maryland National Guard were named the National Guard Bureau’s Region Il Best Warriors for 2024 in the Soldier of the Year and Noncommissioned Officer categories at Aberdeen Proving Ground-Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, May 10, 2024.
Virginia Guard Takes Holistic Approach to Health, Readiness
May 10, 2024
The Virginia National Guard has a new Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce of specialists to help maintain the force’s readiness and health. The team includes general prevention specialists and members focused on preventing workplace, sexual and family violence and abuse, harassment and self-directed harm.
Virginia National Guard Formalizes Partnership with Finland
May 2, 2024
The Virginia National Guard has been selected as the U.S. partner to the nation of Finland for the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced May 2, 2024. The signing ceremony occurred at the Finnish Ministry of Defense in Helsinki.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers Conduct Air Assault Drill
May 1, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Charlottesville-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct cold load training with aviation crews assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division April 5, 2024, at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Virginia.
New York Army Guard Soldiers Heading to North Africa
April 30, 2024
African Lion provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands, including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command, and strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes.
Virginia Guard Avionics Team Tackles High-flying Challenges
April 30, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers conduct maintenance on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter April 2, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The Soldiers are part of the AASF’s avionics shop, which troubleshoots, diagnoses and repairs avionic components and wiring on the VNG’s Black Hawk fleet.
Virginia Guard CST, State Police Team Up for Training Exercise
April 22, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the 34th Civil Support Team and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation bomb technicians conduct a training exercise March 19, 2024, at the Blackstone Readiness Center in Blackstone, Virginia. CST and VSP elements worked to identify possible explosives hazards while maintaining crime scene integrity.
Virginia Guardsman Earns Expert Soldier Badge
April 16, 2024
Maj. Josh Favaro, executive officer of the Virginia National Guard’s 229th Brigade Engineering Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, receives the Expert Soldier Badge from Sgt. Maj. Justin Walkup, the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team operations sergeant major, March 15, 2024, at Fort Walker, Virginia.
Finnish Air Force Commander Meets Virginia Guard Leaders
April 12, 2024
Finnish Maj. Gen. Juha-Pekka Keränen, commander of the Finnish Air Force, meets with Virginia National Guard leaders April 8, 2024, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia. The VNG enjoys an enduring relationship with Finland that includes military training exchanges between Finnish Defence Forces and VNG Soldiers and Airmen.
Virginia Guard Conducts Infantry Tactics Exchange in Tajikistan
March 29, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Barfoot-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, conduct an infantry tactics exchange with soldiers from the Republic of Tajikistan’s Ministry of Defense Peacekeeping Battalion March 3-8, 2024, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Virginia Guard and Tajikistan are partners through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.
Army National Guard Soldiers Train in Funeral Honors Program
March 20, 2024
The Virginia Army National Guard Funeral Honors Program hosts 11 Army National Guard Soldiers from nine states and territories for a level 2 funeral honors training course March 5, 2024, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Soldiers from Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wisconsin participated in the two week-long training, which certifies instructors to teach fellow Soldiers the skills, procedures and standards for providing final respects to military veterans.
Virginia National Guard Takes Over Poland Sustainment Mission
March 15, 2024
U.S. Army Reserve Lt. Col. Carlos Maldonado, the commander of the 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and Command Sgt. Maj. David Elliot, the battalion's senior enlisted advisor, uncase their unit colors during a transfer of authority ceremony in Powidz, Poland, March 11, 2024.
Army Flight School Grad Follows in Father’s Footsteps
March 8, 2024
Warrant Officer Paul D. Kelly's mother, Maria, pins his silver wings on his uniform as he graduates flight school as a Black Hawk pilot at Fort Novosel, Ala., Feb. 8, 2024. He serves with the Virginia Army National Guard.
National Guard Conducts Arctic Training with Canada
March 4, 2024
U.S. Army and Canadian Soldiers observe and secure the insertion area after disembarking from an LC-130 Hercules skiplane of the 109th Airlift Wing, New York Air National Guard, on frozen oceanic Arctic ice near Cornwallis Island, Nunavut, Canada, March 15, 2023. U.S. and Canadian Soldiers and U.S. Airmen are participating in Guerrier Nordique 24 to get experience operating tactically in the high Arctic.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers Validated for Poland Mission
March 1, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion conducted a collective training exercise Feb. 13, 2024, at Fort Cavazos, Texas, to prepare for their upcoming federal active duty deployment to Poland. During the exercise, 529th Soldiers worked through different potential scenarios simulating the operations they are scheduled to conduct in Poland.
From Marine to Virginia Guard, Soldier's Journey Across Continents
February 27, 2024
U.S. Army Infantrymen assigned to the East African Response Force (EARF) participate in an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) to provide security at the U.S. Embassy, Mogadishu, Somalia, April 22, 2022.
Virginia Airmen Conduct Engineer Exchange in Tajikistan
February 14, 2024
Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, 192nd Wing, conduct an engineer exchange with Republic of Tajikistan military and law enforcement personnel Jan. 22-26, 2024, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Virginia Guard Soldiers, Airmen Train on Emergency Response
January 31, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the Richmond-Based 34th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package conduct a collective training exercise Jan. 6, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The exercise enabled new personnel to train on the basics of incident management and emergency response.