Guard News - The National Guard

Cal Guard Unit Ends Year-long Deployment to Poland
October 21, 2022 — BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland – NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Poland held a transfer of authority ceremony from Cal Guard’s 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment, to the incoming 1st Cavalry... MORE

Soldiers from the California National Guard’s San Bernardino-based 1-185th Infantry Regiment arrived home at Los Angeles International Airport Oct. 15, 2022, after a one-year deployment to Poland. The 1-185th was part of Battlegroup Poland, a NATO operation that enforces NATO and a multinational military presence in Northeastern Europe.

New Tool Alerts Colorado, California Guard to Wildfires
October 7, 2022 — AURORA, Colo. – The Colorado and California National Guard have a new way to save lives and mitigate property damage from wildfires called FireGuard.Using military-operated satellites and civilian... MORE

Colorado National Guard Sgt. Joseph Flores, intelligence specialist, 157th Infantry Battalion, Colorado Springs, assigned to the Task Force FireGuard team, analyzes environmental factors in a wildfire area. FireGuard facilitates early detection of wildfires in remote areas.

‘Cold Steel’ Builds on Partnership with 40th Infantry Division
September 29, 2022 — JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – This month, the Cold Steel Brigade conducted its third Command Post Exercise with California National Guard’s 40th Infantry Division partners to prepare the division... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Todd Youtzy, left, and Sgt. 1st Class Qualeem Green, right, senior fire control observer, coach, trainers assigned to 3-358th Field Artillery Regiment, 189th Infantry Brigade, conduct an after action review with Soldiers of the 40th Infantry Division Sept. 16, 2022, during Command Post Exercise III at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California.

STARCOM Debuts New Space Combat Readiness Exercise
September 29, 2022 — PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. – Space Training and Readiness Command completed its first SKIES exercise series to improve the U.S. Space Force’s command and control capabilities.BLACK SKIES 22 was... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Mendoza, 216th Space Control Squadron space systems operator, utilizes a ‘Honey Badger System’ during BLACK SKIES 22 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Sept. 20, 2022. The 216 SPCS specializes in electromagnetic warfare and participated in the Space Training and Readiness Command’s (STARCOM) BLACK SKIES 22 along with numerous other units from California to Colorado.

Whitehead: Relationships the ‘Magic Ingredient’ in NCO Development in Europe
September 12, 2022 — MONS, Belgium – Standing in a city twice liberated from enemy occupation in the last century, the two senior enlisted military leaders of Moldova and Ukraine conversed in Russian — a common language... MORE

Ukrainian Chief Master Sgt. Oleksandr Kosynskyi, the command senior enlisted leader of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, talks with Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, the SEA to the chief, National Guard Bureau, during the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe International Command Senior Enlisted Conference in Casteau, Belgium, Sept. 7, 2022.

Nevada, California Guard Called to Idaho for Firefighting Mission
September 12, 2022 — RENO, Nev. – The Nevada and California National Guard aerial firefighting crews are in Idaho to support wildland firefighting operations in the Northwest.The National Interagency Fire Center requested... MORE

A C-130H Hercules aircraft from the 152rd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, taxis after a Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) training mission in Boise, Idaho, April 26, 2022.

Hawaii, California, Nevada Airmen practice water rescue
August 26, 2022 — LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Hawaii, California and Nevada National Guard members conducted water rescue training in Lake Tahoeʻs challenging landscape with the U.S. Coast Guard and FEMA partners.“This... MORE

Hawaii, Nevada and California Air National Guard Airmen paddle a boat in rough water during Swift Water Rescue Training Jun. 8, 2022 on the Truckee River, Calif. The course focused on the fundamentals of survival in moving water, swift water swimming, shore, boat, and in-water rescue.

National Guard Chief Thanks Guardsmen at tip of Strategic Space and Missile Defense Spear
August 23, 2022 — HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Defense Department’s space and missile defense capabilities serve as critical deterrents amid a rapidly changing domain and looming threats.The U.S. Army Space and Missile... MORE

Soldiers with the 100th Missile Defense Brigade stand in formation at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, July 21, 2022.

Lessons Learned at JRTC Will Last a Lifetime, National Guard Chief Says
July 28, 2022 — FORT POLK, La. – In oppressive heat with humidity thicker than a wool blanket, Army National Guard Soldiers are training to build combat readiness and capacity. The theme at the Joint Training... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, and his senior enlisted advisor, SEA Tony Whitehead, visit Soldiers led by the California National Guard's 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team on rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk, Louisiana, July 26, 2022. Fort Polk is a premier training center that provides rigorous and realistic pre-deployment training for thousands of Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers every year.

Long-term Relationships Drive State Partnership Program Success
July 26, 2022 — PRAGUE, Czech Republic – When Daryl Bohac came here in 1998, he didn’t just help advance a young partnership between the Czech Republic and the Nebraska National Guard – he returned to his ancestral... MORE

Air crew, maintainers and logistics Airmen with the 155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard, stand with Czech Air Force maintainers, holding their countries flags during exercise Ample Strike 2021, Sept. 16, 2021, at Pardubice Airport, Czech Republic. Ample Strike is a Czech Republic-led, multinational live exercise that offers advanced Air/Land Integration Training to Joint Terminal Attack Controllers in coordination with MQ-9 Reaper aircraft and F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft.

In Central Europe, Guard Chief Sees Enduring Partnerships and Growth
July 26, 2022 — VIENNA, Austria – In the heart of Europe, as a new security cooperation partnership takes its first steps, another prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary.Here in Austria, Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson... MORE

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Gregory Knight, left, Vermont adjutant general, and U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, center left, chief of the National Guard Bureau, sign letters of intent with the Republic of Austria in Vienna, Austria, July 19, 2022, under the State Partnership Program. This is the third state partnership for the Vermont National Guard, which has partnered with North Macedonia since 1993 and Senegal since 2008.

California Guard Team Trains for Hazmat Event
July 26, 2022 — ANAHEIM, Calif. - The California National Guard’s 9th Civil Support Team conducted a training exercise July 14 to prepare for an evaluation next March.The simulated hazmat event covered different... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Tiffany Zumaya and Sgt. Thomas Brown from the 9th Civil Support Team examine evidence during a training exercise at Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, Calif., July 14, 2022.

National Guard Demonstrates Capabilities During African Lion
July 7, 2022 — TAN-TAN, Morocco – As the multinational training exercise African Lion ’22 ended, leaders from the Idaho National Guard and other U.S. states joined partner nations in Morocco June 30 to observe... MORE

Key leadership from the Idaho National Guard and several other U.S. states joined partner nations in Morocco June 30, 2022, to see the capabilities of multinational armies working together in a combined arms live-fire mission. During the exercise, Soldiers from Idaho's 1st Battalion of the 148th Field Artillery Regiment fired M795 high explosive rounds from the M109A6 howitzers as Soldiers with the Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin Army National Guard, a Marine Corps Reserve unit based in California and active-duty Soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, provided ground cover.

National Guard SEA Visits Colorado Guard Space, Missile Defense Units
July 1, 2022 — COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado is at the hub of Department of Defense space and missile defense operations, and the state’s National Guard members are supporting these expanding domains here... MORE

Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, center right, the SEA to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, stands with Command Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Perry, the Colorado National Guard’s command senior enlisted leader, and members of the Colorado Guard’s 138th Space Control Squadron on Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, June 28, 2022. Whitehead visited Colorado Guard space and missile defense units in Colorado Springs to see how National Guard members are contributing to these expanding domains.

Three Nations, One Goal: Continued Freedom
June 24, 2022 — VILNIUS, Lithuania – Three Baltic nations are laser-focused on one goal: defending their independence and territorial integrity.The chief of the National Guard Bureau heard the same message in visits... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, talks with multinational troops supporting a NATO mission, Ādaži Military Base, Latvia, June 16, 2022.

Hokanson Visits Guardsmen Training With Ukraine Troops
June 23, 2022 — GRAFENWOEHR, Germany – For some Florida National Guardsmen, leaving the troops they were training with in Yavoriv, Ukraine, last fall was one of the toughest moments of their military careers.“Walking... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, talks with a formation of Soldiers with the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Florida National Guard, in Grafenwoehr, Germany, June 12, 2022. Germany was Hokanson’s second stop on a five-nation trip to recognize and strengthen National Guard relationships with European allies and partners.

Hawaii Air Guard Cyber Team Honored for Cyber Defense Work
June 17, 2022 — HONOLULU – Three Hawaii National Guard Airmen received achievement medals at Fort DeRussy May 14 for enhancing the Guard’s cyber-response capabilities.The team of cyber analysts and operators was... MORE

U.S. Air Force Capt. Elijah Lincoln, center, is awarded an achievement medal May 14, 2022, at Fort DeRussy, Hawaii, for standing up the Hawaii National Guard’s first Cyber Mission Assurance Team. With him are U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Moses Kaoiwi Jr., Hawaii Army National Guard commander, and U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Glen Hayase.

Utah Field Artillery Brigade Leads XCTC Exercise in Idaho
June 15, 2022 — ORCHARD COMBAT TRAINING CENTER, Idaho – The Utah National Guard’s 65th Field Artillery Brigade, “America’s Thunder,” is participating in Western Strike 22, a large-scale, multistate field artillery... MORE

Two M109 Paladins move into firing position during exercise Western Strike 22 at Orchard Combat Training Center, Idaho, June 6, 2022. Several artillery units will certify themselves during the exercise, ensuring they are ready to be called up to support operations worldwide.

National Guard Supports Armed Forces of Ukraine
June 8, 2022 — ARLINGTON, Va. – Pinned down by a Russian tank and armed with only a failed anti-tank missile, a Ukrainian soldier recently turned to an unlikely source as the most effective weapon available — his... MORE

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, adjutant general of the California National Guard, and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis watch a demonstration of tactical equipment during a visit to the California Air National Guard’s 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Air National Guard Base, California, Sept. 2, 2021. The California National Guard and Ukraine have been partners under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program since 1993.

National Guard Leaders Emphasize Value of State Partnership Program
June 3, 2022 — ARLINGTON, Va. – The adjutants general from California, Florida, Nebraska and Vermont discussed the value of the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program during a media... MORE

U.S. Airmen with the Indiana Air National Guard, and Slovak armed forces personnel trained together Feb. 22, 2022, at the 122nd Fighter Wing, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The joint training built on a more than 25-year partnership under the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.

Connecticut Guard Takes Holistic Approach to Fitness

Pennsylvania Guard Takes Part in African Lion 23 in Tunisia

Royal Thai Army Commander Visits Washington Guard Leaders

Michigan Guard Brings HIMARS Capability to Swift Response 23

194th Wing Conducts Phoenix Dawn Readiness Exercise