Guard News - The National Guard

National Guard Members Continue LA Wildfire Response
January 21, 2025 — LOS ANGELES – U.S. Army Sgt. Ricardo Hernandez watched from a cross street as sporadic traffic passed on the Pacific Coast Highway near Pacific Palisades. The late afternoon sun glinted off his... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Bryce Carter, an infantryman with C Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, sharpens the blade of a hoe to clear brush and other debris as part of remediation efforts along the Mulholland Trail near Tarzana, California, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Jan. 18, 2025. Carter and other members of his unit were assisting CALFIRE in mop-up efforts, which included clearing brush and backfilling firebreaks and other areas to prevent mudslides and reduce the impact of firefighting efforts.

California Guardsman Helps Battle Wildfires in His Community
January 16, 2025 — CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. - Amid the wildfire crisis in California, an Air National Guard member's resilience, dedication and commitment to service stand out.Master Sgt. Alan... MORE

Master Sgt. Alan Franklin, a commander's support Airman with the 146th Airlift Wing, speaks to 1st Lt. Aiden Flores about the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System mission on the flightline at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Port Hueneme, California, Jan. 13, 2025. MAFFS aircraft from the Air National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing, Cheyenne, Wyoming, the 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nevada, the 146th Airlift Wing, Port Hueneme, California, and Air Force Reserve Command’s 302 AW, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, are working together to combat fires in the Los Angeles area.

National Guard Bureau Chief Thanks Firefighting Guardsmen
January 14, 2025 — CHANNEL ISLANDS AIR NATIONAL GUARD STATION, Calif. – The National Guard is part of a multi-agency response to the historic wildfires across the Los Angeles Basin and Southern California. Over the... MORE

Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, and Army Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, visit National Guard members supporting wildland firefighting in Southern California, Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Calif., Jan. 11, 2025. Thousands of National Guardsmen are involved in multiple air and ground firefighting in the Los Angeles Basin and Southern California.

Wyoming, Nevada Guard Aircrews Assist California Firefighters
January 13, 2025 — CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Three Wyoming Air National Guard C-130s equipped with the U.S. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems and associated personnel were activated by U.S. Northern Command... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 153rd Airlift Wing load and install the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems onto a C-130H Hercules aircraft in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Jan. 10, 2025, in preparation to support firefighting efforts in the Los Angeles area.

California, Nevada, Wyoming Guard Join Firefighting Battle
January 10, 2025 — MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. - Hundreds of National Guard members are now involved in multiple air and ground firefighting efforts as wildfires rage across the Los Angeles Basin and... MORE

U.S. Air Force Airmen with the 129th Rescue Wing, California Air National Guard, at Moffett Air National Guard Base, Calif., prepare an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter to help battle the Palisades Fire Jan. 9, 2025.

California Army Guard Delivers Supplies to Wilderness Site
December 3, 2024 — SONORA, Calif. - When venturing out in the Sierra Nevada wilderness, the hum of a helicopter is the last sound you expect to hear while navigating the pristine, yet rugged, terrain.But when supplies... MORE

California Army National Guard Soldiers prepare to fly after sling-loading timber that will be used to conserve a cultural site in the Stanislaus National Forest Oct. 30, 2024. The Stanislaus collaborated with the 1-126th Aviation Regiment, Cal Guard, to deliver critical supplies to remote forest areas near Cooper Meadow in the Emigrant Wilderness.

NGB Hosts Deployable Defensive Cyber Operations Systems-Modular Master Gunner Course
November 13, 2024 — NEW ORLEANS – The National Guard Bureau hosted the second Deployable Defensive Cyber Operations Systems-Modular (DDS-M) Master Gunner Course at Louisiana National Guard’s Jackson Barracks Oct. 28 to... MORE

Guardsmen from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin participate in a two-week Army National Guard Defensive Deployable Cyber Operations Systems-Modular Master Gunner Course at Jackson Barracks, a Louisiana National Guard installation in New Orleans, Oct. 28 to Nov. 7, 2024.

From Ohio to Alaska, Airmen Unite for Space Intelligence
October 22, 2024 — FAIRBANKS, Alaska - From the heart of Ohio to the rugged Alaskan terrain, the Polar Surge exercise is uniting Airmen, Guardians and coalition forces in pursuit of unparalleled space intelligence... MORE

U.S. Airmen assigned to the 126th Intelligence Squadron support and train Airmen and Guardians of the 213th Space Warning Squadron at Clear Space Force Station, Alaska, June 21, 2024, as part of the Polar Surge partnership. The joint effort between the 178th Wing and 213th provides space surveillance data to the NORAD Space Control Center.

Maryland Guard Joins Homeland Disaster Response Exercise
April 30, 2024 — FORT CARSON, Colo. - Over 45 Maryland National Guard Soldiers are providing public affairs and logistics support during the Vibrant Response 24 exercise in Colorado April 19 to May 3. VR is an annual... MORE

First Lt. Joseph Quinn, the executive officer in the 349th Composite Supply Company, California Army National Guard, participates in an interview on Fort Carson, Colorado, April 25, 2024, during the Vibrant Response exercise.

Guard Employs AI to Battle Wildfires, Improve Disaster Response
April 8, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Inside the bustling confines of an operations center, National Guard members quickly assemble information from multiple sources, piecing together the “big picture” from ground and air... MORE

Kenneth C. McNeill, a senior executive service member and the chief information officer of the National Guard Bureau, speaks to Project Theia officials and other interested parties during a discussion at the Pentagon Feb., 2, 2023. Named after the Greek goddess of sight, Theia centralizes video data, then applies Artificial Intelligence solutions to increase situational awareness among those responding to natural or man-made disasters.

The Hometown Heroes of Tower 22
March 27, 2024 — UNDISCLOSED LOCATION - The Guardsmen hailed from hometowns across America, but when they found themselves deployed to a remote desert outpost in the no man’s land where the borders of Jordan, Iraq and... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, and SEA Tony Whitehead, senior enlisted advisor to the CNGB, visit National Guardsmen deployed within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility March 15, 2024.

Southern Strike Joint Combat Exercise Concludes in Mississippi
March 19, 2024 — GULFPORT, Miss. - Military members from all departments of the U.S. armed forces participated in the Southern Strike 2024-1 joint combat exercise at Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center March... MORE

A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment General Support Aviation Battalion, Michigan Army National Guard, lands beside a U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft assigned to the 186th Air Refueling Wing, Mississippi Air National Guard, in preparation for combat air medical operations training during Southern Strike 2024 at Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, March 13, 2024. The team participating in the training included the 146th Aeromedical Evacuation Group, 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard; and the 114th Medical Group, 114th Fighter Wing, South Dakota Air National Guard.

Ukraine Delegation Visits Washington National Guard Leaders
March 18, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - A delegation from Ukraine visited Washington National Guard leaders March 15 to thank them for supporting the country.“We know your unit deployed to Ukraine in 2021 to help our... MORE

Brig. Gen. Kenneth Borchers, left, director of the Joint Staff, Washington National Guard, shakes hands with Ruslan Kravchenko, head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, during a visit to Camp Murray, Wash., March 15, 2024. The visit to Camp Murray focused on sharing stories and building on friendship established during the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s 2021 deployment to Ukraine supporting the Joint Multinational Training Group - Ukraine mission.

81st SBCT Completes Command Post Exercise
March 8, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - The 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team tested its command processes and identified redundancies during a command post exercise at Camp Murray from Feb. 29 to March 3.“This was the... MORE

The 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team and subordinate battalion during a command post exercise at the Pierce County Readiness Center, Camp Murray, Wash., Feb. 29, 2024.

Hokanson Announces new State Partnership Program Nations
March 7, 2024 — WASHINGTON – A program that pairs the National Guard in the states and territories with foreign allies and partners is set to grow by several nations this year, the National Guard’s top officer... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, meets with members of the Swedish Armed Forces in Boden, Sweden, Oct. 17, 2023. Hokanson visited Sweden as part of a larger Northern European itinerary for talks with defense officials to deepen bilateral ties between the National Guard and Sweden.

New Army National Guard General Officer Reflects on Career
March 5, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - At the command “attention to orders,” Robin Hoeflein steadfastly assumed the position of attention — shoulders squared, head and eyes facing directly ahead, fingers curled against... MORE

U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robin Hoeflein, vice director of the Operations Directorate at the National Guard Bureau, looks on as her husband, Ray, affixes her rank to her uniform during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, where she was promoted to her current rank Feb. 29, 2024.

Washington Guard Team Takes Honors at Biathlon Championship
February 29, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - A Washington National Guard biathlon team scored its first Cascade Cup victory and posted individual accomplishments by Majors Josh Jorgenson and Brendan Thompson during the... MORE

The Washington National Guard men's Patrol Team climbs an incline during the 50th anniversary Chief of the National Guard Bureau Biathlon Championships at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center Feb. 21, 2024. The Utah National Guard hosted the national biathlon competition consisting of cross-country skiing and competitive shooting events that tested the warriors’ endurance and marksmanship.

National Guard Bureau Leaders Say Taking Care of Guardsmen Key to Meeting Mission at Home, Abroad
February 9, 2024 — WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said that as the global security landscape has become increasingly complex, the National Guard continues to fill its role... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, meets with Arkansas Guardsmen assigned to Task Force Bowie, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, on rotation overseeing training with the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Oct. 21, 2023.

Red Bulls to Deploy to the Middle East
February 6, 2024 — EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Family and friends of more than 550 Red Bull Soldiers gathered Feb. 1 for a departure ceremony honoring the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division “Red Bulls” and... MORE

Soldiers, family members and friends gather for a deployment ceremony at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Feb. 1, 2024. More than 550 Soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division "Red Bulls" began final preparations for a deployment to the Middle East.

California Army Guard Brigade Works 24/7 to Defend Nation
January 5, 2024 — VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. - Seven California Army National Guard members of Detachment 1, 100th Missile Defense Brigade, epitomize the National Guard’s motto, “Always ready, always... MORE

Soldiers of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade pose for a photo at the entrance to an ICBM launch tube on Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.

National Guard Members Continue LA Wildfire Response

National Guard Bureau Leaders Meet With Guardsmen Supporting 60th Presidential Inauguration

42nd Infantry Division Heads to Warfighter Exercise

National Guard Soldiers Prepare for Funeral Honors Duty

New Jersey Guard Hosts U.S. Northern Command Joint Staff Training