Guard News - The National Guard

Alaska Air Guard Rescue Airmen Help 3 Over Easter Weekend
April 5, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guard rescue personnel of the 176th Wing medically evacuated a stroke victim from Bethel March 30 before rescuing two injured snowmachine... MORE

A 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II refuels a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk during training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, March 23, 2020. During a March 30, 2024, medical evacuation mission from JBER to near Ruby about 175 miles west of Fairbanks on the Yukon River, HC-130 refueling was necessary to extend the range of the HH-60.

Alaska Air National Guard Medevacs Critically ill Patient
April 2, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Two Alaska Air National Guard Airmen jumped from a 176th Wing combat search and rescue aircraft into the village of Kotlik March 22 to expedite medical care... MORE

Framed by the tail of a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II, a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk, carrying 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angel personnel recovery Airmen, sorties from Unalakleet, Alaska, March 21, 2024. The HH-60 transloaded Guardian Angels to the HC-130 before continuing to Kotlik for a medical evacuation mission.
Framed by the tail of a 211th Rescue Squadron HC-130J Combat King II, a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk, carrying 212th Rescue Squadron Guardian Angel personnel recovery Airmen, sorties from Unalakleet, Alaska, March 21, 2024. The HH-60 transloaded Guardian Angels to the HC-130 before continuing to Kotlik for a medical evacuation mission.

Alaska Guard Black Hawk Aviators Train at Marine Corps Course
March 26, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Aviators from the Alaska Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence are training at the Marine Corps Weapons Weapons and Tactics... MORE

UH-60L and CH-53 helicopters flying at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

Alaska, Maine Guard Conduct Disaster Preparation Exercise
March 13, 2024 — ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The National Guard’s “Always Ready, Always There” motto symbolizes its vigilant presence across the nation. In Alaska, where natural disasters like earthquakes pose significant... MORE

Alaska and Maine National Guardsmen offload from a 176th Wing C-17 Globemaster III while supporting Exercise Vigilant Guard 2024-2 (Alaska) at Merle K. “Mudhole” Smith Airport, Cordova, Alaska, March 5, 2024.

National Guard Conducts Arctic Training with Canada
March 4, 2024 — RESOLUTE BAY, Nunavut, Canada - Members of the Vermont, New Hampshire, Virginia and Alaska National Guard and active-duty members of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps are participating in an Arctic... MORE

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.

Mongolian Colonel Visits Arctic Security Center, Alaska Partners
February 22, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Col. T. Galbadrakh, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces, visited the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies Feb. 14 in a... MORE

Randy Kee, director of the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies, speaks with Col. T. Galbadrakh, deputy chief of the General Staff of the Mongolian Armed Forces, during a visit to the center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Feb. 14, 2024. Galbadrakh's visit, coordinated through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, underscores the program's evolution into a vital instrument for bolstering U.S. security cooperation on the global stage.

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.

Alaska Guard Spreads Holiday Cheer to Remote Communities
December 6, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - For the 68th year, the Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa Claus is bringing the magic of the season to the remote communities of Fort Yukon, Golovin,... MORE

Santa and Mrs. Claus disembark from a C-17 Globemaster III and head to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to support Operation Santa Claus at Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 15, 2023. Operation Santa Claus is the AKNG’s yearly community outreach program that provides gifts and Christmas cheer to children in remote communities.

Alaska National Guard’s Operation Santa Claus Makes Lifesaving Detour
November 17, 2023 — BETHEL, Alaska - The Alaska National Guard’s annual community outreach program, Operation Santa Claus, took an unexpected turn this year as its mission to bring holiday joy to the village of Tuluksak... MORE

Holly Demmert, left, and Clifton Dalton, flight paramedics with LifeMed, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bryan Kruse, Bethel Army Aviation Operating Facility commander, move a critically ill patient from an Alaska Army National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter to an ambulance during a medical evacuation from Napaskiak to Bethel Nov. 15, 2023.

Alaska National Guardsmen Prepare for Middle East Deployment
October 3, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Approximately 100 Alaska Army National Guardsmen assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, are deploying to Kuwait in November as... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard 1st Sgt. Oliver Meza, Bravo Company first sergeant, brings the formation to attention during a deployment ceremony for B Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, at the Alaska National Guard Armory on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Sept. 29, 2023. Approximately 100 Soldiers are deploying to the Middle East for nine months to support Operation Spartan Shield.

Alaska Air National Guard Rescues Sheep Hunters
August 16, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guardsmen of 176th Wing rescued two sheep hunters Aug. 11 near Tonsina, about 165 miles east of Anchorage.The two uninjured hunters were... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Michael Rogers, 212th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, hoists from a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter Aug. 11, 2023, near Tonsina, Alaska. Rogers helped rescue two sheep hunters stranded on a cliff.

Alaska Guard Cares for Northern Mariana Islands Residents
August 9, 2023 — SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands - Army and Air Force Active, National Guard and Reserve components led by the 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support) provided free health care in the Commonwealth... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Lt. Col. Elizabeth Lafleur, 176th Medical Group, examines a patient July 14, 2023, as part of an Innovative Readiness Training mission at Saipan, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. IRTs bring experienced Air National Guard and Army Reserve medical professionals to a real-world environment, allowing them to hone their skills while helping the community.

Alaska National Guard Helps Battle Wildland Fires
August 8, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Thirteen members of the Alaska National Guard deployed to Interior Alaska to help fight wildfires across the region.Eight 207th Aviation Troop Command... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Anthony Hartman, 176th Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, prepares to deploy from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Interior Alaska Aug. 6, 2023, to fight wildfires.

Alaska Guardsman Competes in Arctic Triathlon
August 3, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - In subarctic winter conditions, running or bicycling outside over mountainous terrain with snow and ice canvassing the countryside can be challenging.Combine... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Senior Airman Kenyon DePriest, 176th Air Defense Squadron surveillance technician, monitors Alaska airspace March 14, 2023, in the Regional Air Operations Center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. DePriest competed in the run/bike/ski World Winter Triathlon Championships in Skeikampen, Norway, in March 2023.

Alaska National Guard Helps Clear Oil Spill Response Site
August 1, 2023 — SHEPARD POINT, Alaska - When the Exxon Valdez grounded on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989, more than 11 million gallons of heavy crude oil spilled into the sound, impacting about... MORE

Alaska Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Robert Neff, an engineering craftsman from the 176th Civil Engineer Squadron, cuts a tree as part of an Innovative Readiness Training project at Shepard Point near Cordova, Alaska, July 26, 2023. Twelve 176th Wing Guardsmen are clearing a 5.5-acre site for the Shepard Point Marine Tribal Transportation Oil Spill & Marine Casualty Response Facility.

Alaska Guard Strengthens Readiness with Training Exercises
August 1, 2023 — LOVELL, Wyo. - Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, executed rigorous training exercises to maintain peak combat efficiency, including convoy operations and field and driver... MORE

U.S. Army National Guard Infantrymen from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, perform tactical combat casualty care while conducting berm drills during training exercises in Lovell, Wyo., May 18, 2023.

29th IBCT Logistics: Winning the Fight Before the Fight
July 31, 2023 — FORT JOHNSON, La. - Soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquartered in Hawaii coordinated the movement of hundreds of assets to the Joint Readiness Training Center in... MORE

Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct rail operations on tactical vehicles transported from Hawaii at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, July 10, 2023. Brigade combat teams and security force assistance brigades conduct simulated large-scale combat operations against near-peer threats at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson to increase readiness and support globally deployable missions.

Army Guard Soldiers Compete in Alaska to be Best Warrior
July 10, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Fourteen Army National Guard Soldiers from across the nation are competing in the 2023 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition hosted by the Alaska Army... MORE

Soldiers in the Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition are tested on their adaptiveness and lethality during the water combat fitness test July 7, 2023 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska Guard Rescues 10 People Across Alaska
July 10, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Rescue crews from the Alaska Air and Army National Guard navigated across 1,850 miles, saving 10 people in four civil search and rescue missions and one... MORE

An Alaska National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter from Golf Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, conducts a training mission May 31, 2023, near Colony Glacier.

Alaska National Guard Rapidly Deploys for Exercise ORCA 23
June 28, 2023 — NOME, Alaska – About 530 miles northwest of Anchorage, two survey team members from the Alaska National Guard’s 103rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team monitor handheld detectors scanning... MORE

Members of the Mississippi National Guard's 47th Weapons of Mass Destruction - Civil Support Team process through a decontamination line June 14, 2023, in Wasilla, Alaska, as part of ORCA 2023. The exercise increased interoperability among a range of agencies, including the Alaska National Guard’s 103rd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team, 12 National Guard units, eight local and state agencies, three federal organizations, and community partners.

Colorado Army National Guard Conducts Aviation Training for Wildfire Season

Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs Highlights Virginia National Guard Excellence at Military Ball

Oregon Air Guard Participates in Sentry Aloha Exercise

Air Guard Units Join Forces for Aerial Wildfire Suppression Training

Forging Partnerships: The National Guard in the Indo-Pacific