Guard News - The National Guard

New York Guard readies for New Year's Eve
December 31, 2008 — NEW YORK CITY - As New Yorkers and visitors gear up today for New Year's Eve celebrations, the citizen soldiers and airmen of the New York National Guard are ready to support homeland security... MORE

Amputee earns commission through Army ROTC
December 31, 2008 — FORT MONROE, Va. - The blast of a roadside bomb in Iraq's Sunni Triangle resulted in the amputation of a portion of Richard Ingram's left arm, but it did not rob him of his dream of becoming an Army... MORE

Guard's Counterdrug warriors endeavor to test one and all
December 30, 2008 — BROOKS CITY - BASE, Texas - Finding a single drug abuser among thousands of servicemembers can compare to a shell game, but the National Guard is placing all odds in its favor.The National Guard is... MORE

A lab specialist at the military drug testing facility in Texas points out samples prepared for analysis with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer. The military laboratory's high-tech equipment can find and identify any drugs present.

'Psst ... don't forget your ID card,' say Air Guard's network protectors
December 29, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Air National Guardmembers at the Air Guard's Readiness Center on Andrews Air Force Base, Md., may soon have a friendly reminder to secure their Defense Department photo and data... MORE

Florida counterdrug team competes in international SWAT competition
December 24, 2008 — ORLANDO, Fla. - A team of Soldiers from the Florida National Guard's counterdrug program recently tested its mettle against law enforcement officers from around the globe in an intense international... MORE

Staff Sgt. Eric Brown of the Florida National Guard's Counterdrug Training Academy practices with his weapon before competition at the 2008 SWAT Round-up International Competition in Orlando, Fla., Dec. 4.

Guardmembers earn discretionary points for joint designation
December 24, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Discretionary points can now be earned through the Joint Officer Management Program (JOM) to achieve the Joint Qualified Officer designation. NGB's JOM staff administers a Joint... MORE

Air Force Maj. Gen. Jim Graves, the assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Affairs, gives a slideshow presentation to National Guard and Reserve members at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Dec. 10. Graves spoke on the importance of joint service experience within the military as well as joint service rank advancement aspects specific to reserve component troops.

Virginia Guard unit cooks up food service win
December 24, 2008 — FORT PICKETT, Va. - The 1032nd Transportation Company of the Virginia National Guard has won the Department of the Army's annual Philip A. Connelly Award for Excellence in Army Food Service in the... MORE

Army Staff Sgt. Joey K. Falls (left) and Spc. Seth Grove (right) of the Virginia National Guard's 1032nd Transportation Company serve 1st Sgt. Ernest T. Miller out of a mobile kitchen trailer. The mobile kitchen trailer was set up as a requirement of the Connelly Competition for which they were competing.

Missouri Guard's agri-mission grows in Afghanistan
December 23, 2008 — WASHINGTON - One of the biggest hurdles to self-sustainment in Afghanistan is slowly being overcome by Missouri National Guardmembers, said the state's Sen. Christopher Bond during a press conference... MORE

Missouri Sen. Christopher Bond and Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, answer questions from the media during a Dec. 22 press conference held in Bond's office. Bond recently returned from Afghanistan where he saw the work of Missouri Guard Agriculture Development Teams (ADT). The ADTs are made up of Soldiers with strong farming backgrounds and have been instrumental in rebuilding Afghanistan.

Drive to drill, save some lives...Another day at the office
December 23, 2008 — MOFFETT FEDERAL AIRFIELD, Calif. - Early Sunday morning on Dec. 7, Lt. Col. Jack O'Neill, commander of the 130th Rescue Squadron of the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing, was driving... MORE

Lt. Col. Jack O'Neill, commander of the 130th Rescue Squadron of the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing, witnessed a fiery crash during his drive to the second day of the weekend drill at Moffett Federal Airfield, Calif., Dec. 7. Colonel O'Neill and a truck driver pulled four survivors from the scene.

MO Guardsmen committed to Kosovo's Adopt-A-School program
December 23, 2008 — CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Some of the best feelings you can have may come from a child. An innocent smile or maybe a genuine hug from a child is all it takes to make what may have started as a bad day,... MORE

Maj. Eddie Brown and Staff Sgt. Timothy Gibson, Task Force Falcon, sat children one-by-one on the tailgate and fitted the children's feet for the perfect shoe.

Massachusetts Guardsmen hailed as heroes
December 23, 2008 — MILFORD, Mass. - Two Massachusetts Army National Guardsmen, who recently saved a woman's life, were awarded the Massachusetts Medal of Merit in a Dec. 19 ceremony in Agawam, Mass.2nd Lt. Brian Shaffer... MORE

Maj. Gen. Joseph C. Carter, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts
National Guard, pins the Massachusetts Medal of Merit on Spc. Christopher
Brown II during a recent ceremony.

Peacekeeping training focuses less on combat, more on control, compliance
December 23, 2008 — BUTLERVILLE, Ind. - Soldiers who deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan must be trained to engage in combat using the latest in lethal-weapons technology. But for soldiers preparing to deploy on a... MORE

Army Pfc. Ji Chong, left, listens to an instructor while putting a submission hold on Army Pfc. Andrew Bituin during a nonlethal weapons training class at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Camp Atterbury, Ind. The training, designed to induce compliance and control rather than injury, is part of deployment training for Chong and Bituin's unit, 40th Infantry Division, which is scheduled to deploy to Kosovo.

AR lawyer sets bar high in Iraq
December 22, 2008 — BAGHDAD, (12/19/08) - The U.S. Army may take Col. Roy House out of Iraq. But Iraq will never really be out of House -- and his mark here will long outlast his deployment.House, a member of the... MORE

Army Col. Roy House, a rule of law advisor with the State Department's Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team, is presented the Bronze Star for his meritorious services while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Virtual training for real world missions
December 22, 2008 — Four Airmen strap in to a well equipped humvee as it rumbles along a road in some remote area of Iraq. Today's mission requires the airmen to identify and neutralize hostile forces while escorting a... MORE

Much like an IMAX, a 280 degree screen brings to life real world scenarios designed to put a four-person fire team made up of a driver, gunner, rifleman and troop commander through the paces of an actual convoy mission.

JRTC improves joint training for Guard's only Stryker brigade
December 22, 2008 — FT. POLK, La. - The National Guard's only Stryker brigade is learning how military services can work together to improve air-ground integration training in preparation for their upcoming... MORE

A Stryker vehicle from the 56th SBCT, Pennsylvania National Guard moves out to conduct joint operations during JRTC rotation 09-02 at Ft. Polk, La.

U.S.- Ukrainian Militaries Work to Bring Regional Peace, Stability
December 22, 2008 — WASHINGTON - American and Ukrainian defense leaders are working together to assist Ukraine in its quest to develop modern, democratically managed armed forces, a senior U.S. military officer said here... MORE

Safety experts urge Guardmembers to drive defensively in the New Year
December 19, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - Behind the wheel this holiday, you can make road kill and you can be road-killed, but Air National Guard safety officials said they hope you avoid both.Safety experts at the Air Guard... MORE

CNGB Holiday Message
December 19, 2008 — With the holidays now upon us, I extend warmest Seasons Greetings to the Soldiers and Airmen of the National Guard and to their families and employers.America is indebted to you for your dedication... MORE

National Guard details support to inauguration
December 19, 2008 — ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 4,000 Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen from at least eight states will provide security, medical and other support during the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, a National Guard... MORE

Members of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment participate in a historic ceremony at the State House in Boston Nov. 21, 2008 to reorganize the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The 54th is slated to carry that lineage to Washington D.C., as they participate in the inauguration parade for President-elect Barack Obama.

Army expands military funeral honors for Soldiers
December 18, 2008 — WASHINGTON - Starting early next year, the Army will allow full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia for all soldiers killed in action.Full military honors include a... MORE

Pennsylvania Guard WMD Civil Support Team Completes Exercise

Maryland Guard, Bosnia and Herzegovina Conduct JTAC Training

Finnish Air Force Commander Meets Virginia Guard Leaders

South Carolina National Guard Airmen Return From Deployment

Army, Air Force Team up to Load Helicopters at Shaw AFB