Guard News - The National Guard

First lady, Dr. Biden urge troop, family support
September 7, 2010 — WASHINGTON - Just days after the combat mission in Iraq ended, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, reminded Americans that their commitment to military... MORE

First Lady Michelle Obama, left, and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.

Army Guard director on Soldier suicide: "We can solve this"
September 3, 2010 — AUSTIN, Texas - Leadership, screening recruits for compatibilitywith military service and better post-deployment follow-up are amongsolutions the acting director of the Army National Guard recently... MORE

Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter, the acting director of the Army National Guard, addresses the 132nd General Conference of the National Guard Association of the United States in Austin, Texas, on Aug. 21, 2010. We are actually turning people away from our organization, Carpenter said. Who would have guessed that almost nine years into two wars we would have a volunteer Army that is turning people away.

Border mission 'not unique' for Guardsmen
September 3, 2010 — Arlington, Va., - Almost 1,100 National Guard members are on dutyon the Southwest border performing a mission that is very familiar to many ofthem, a Guard official said today."This (mission) is not... MORE

Border Patrol agents observe an Arizona National Guard Soldier training for Operation Copper Cactus at an undisclosed location in Arizona on Aug. 25, 2010. Operation Copper Condor is the Arizona National Guard's contribution to the up to 1,200 National Guard troops being deployed to support the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the four Southwest border states.

Colorado ANG fire chief deploys to Central Command
September 3, 2010 — BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., - A Colorado Air National Guardmember is the Air Force's eyes and ears for over 500 firefighters, who arescattered across 16 bases and multiple Forward Operating Bases... MORE

Senior Master Sgt. Deanna Criswell poses for a photo in the CENTCOM area of operations. She is the first female fire chief in the Air National Guard, and she is currently deployed as the Air Force's forward functional fire manager.

Massachusetts National Guard Prepares Relief from Hurricane Earl
September 3, 2010 — Milford, Mass., - The Massachusetts National Guard has been mobilized by Gov. Deval Patrick and is preparing to assist the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency in general relief efforts across... MORE

Puerto Rico Guardsmen work with Kosovo's poorest
September 3, 2010 — GNJILANE/GJILAN, Kosovo, - A man stands on the steps leading up tohis house. He slumps slightly to his left. His feet are extremelydisfigured. His left foot is mostly missing, the result of severe... MORE

Sgt. Radiff Vega, San Lorenzo of the Puerto Rico National Guard and a squad leader with the 192nd Liaison Monitoring Team for Multinational Battle Group East, and Staff Sgt. Carlos Santiago, the noncommissioned officer in charge of team 3 of the LMTs talk to an interpreter asking him to explain to one of the extremely poor families how to use the items that the Red Cross was giving them.

101st Air and Space Operations Group stands up at Tyndall
September 3, 2010 — TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., - The 601st Air and Space OperationsCenter held a ceremony here Aug. 21 to commemorate the activation of the101st Air and Space Operations Group.The 101st AOG, which is a... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Lynn Boop, chief enlisted manager of the 101st Air and Space Operations Group, unfurls the organizational flag for the newly established 101st Air and Space Operations Group at the unit's
activation ceremony held at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., Aug. 21, 2010.

Wyoming hosts cultural resources conference
September 3, 2010 — CAMP GUERNSEY, Wyo., - Operating in the least developed statehelped the Wyoming National Guard become a state of experts in dealing withsome of the most abundant collections of natural and cultural... MORE

Mark Williams, left, of the Mississippi Army National Guard, Michael Peterkin, middle, of the Indiana Army National Guard, and Kenneth Keith, of the Mississippi Army National Guard, hike through the ruts in the Oregon
Trail historic site near Guernsey, Wyo., in August. The trio participated in the National Guard Bureau's Natural and Cultural Resources Workshop, hosted in Wyoming. The Wyoming Guard arranged for a tour of culturally important sites during the multi-day conference.

Locals tip off Afghan army concerning weapons cache
September 2, 2010 — CAMP SPANN, Afhganistan, - Live mortar rounds are commonly used in manufacturing improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, and in the hands of insurgents or Taliban fighters these weapons could be... MORE

Army North trains, assists Minnesota's 55th CST
September 2, 2010 — BUFFALO, Minn., - Two days after a groundbreaking ceremony here, seven local residents who attended the ceremony started developing strange symptoms of fever, in addition to severe headaches, vomiting... MORE

Jeff Carter, an observer controller/trainer from Civil Support Training Activity at U.S. Army North, based in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, briefs members of the Minnesota National Guard's 55th Civil Support Team from Fort Snelling, Minn., during their annual pre-evaluation training exercise Aug. 24, 2010.

Iowa ADT helps Afghan girls school
September 2, 2010 — KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - On a late August day outside Forward Operating Base Wright, U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Melissa Brumley helped load a slightly scuffed Toyota Corolla with boxes of clothing... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Melissa Brumley of the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agribusiness Development Team, speaks through an interpreter to staff members of the Kunar province director of Women's Affairs in eastern Afghanistan after loading their vehicle with supplies for local schoolgirls and clothes for the families of widows in the province Aug. 19, 2010.

Louisiana Guard completes flood protection project
September 2, 2010 — PINEVILLE, La., - For nearly 400 residents in Franklin, La., more than half a mile of Hesco baskets placed by Louisiana National Guardsmen are adding peace of mind against future storms, Aug. 27.In... MORE

Staff Sgt. Clancy Kirk, right, holds the Hesco basket as a fellow Guardsman from the 769th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade, puts the basket together near Charenton Navigation Canal outside Franklin, La., Aug. 25, 2010. The Louisiana National Guardsmen spent nearly two weeks building flood protection in St. Mary's Parish to protect homes and hurricane evacuation route Highway 90 from future storms.

Training prepares 116th BCT soldiers for deployment
September 1, 2010 — GOWEN FIELD TRAINING AREA, Idaho, - The game is coming. Training intensity increases. Drills become memorized. You live, sleep, and eat nothing but the game. The day arrives and it's time to implement... MORE

A convoy from Alpha Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion roll back from an IED training lane at Gowen Field Training Area, Idaho, Monday, Aug. 30. The convoy is practicing how to spot IED's and what measures to take when they spot one.

Combat, hardship pays remain for troops serving in Iraq
September 1, 2010 — WASHINGTON, - The change from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn does not affect combat and other hazardous-duty entitlements troops serving in Iraq receive, a Pentagon spokeswoman said... MORE

National Guard prepares response to Hurricane Earl
September 1, 2010 — ARLINGTON, Va., - National Guardsmen in states all along the East Coast are preparing for whatever Hurricane Earl sends their way this Labor Day weekend."Every state along the East Coast from North... MORE

Staff Sgt. Lee Oakes checks the oil on a Humvee as Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard's Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment prepare their vehicles for a possible state mobilization in response to Hurricane Earl on Sept. 1, 2010. The Virginia National Guard will bring up to 200 Soldiers and Airmen on state active duty starting Sept. 1 for possible post-storm recovery operations should Hurricane Earl impact the Hampton Roads area. Virginia Guard personnel will begin staging Sept. 1 and will be pre-staged and ready Sept. 2 to support potential response missions before Hurricane Earl reaches the Virginia coastline.

Former Louisiana officers celebrate 50th anniversary as new officers graduate
September 1, 2010 — PINEVILLE, La., - For retired Army Maj. Gen. Joe Gary, the mingling of officers from the first class to graduate from the Louisiana National Guard's officer candidate school after 50 years was... MORE

Officer Candidate Bennet Jones from Class 50, and former Army Capt. Jim McCarty from Class 1, discuss the challenges of the Louisiana National Guard's officer candidate school at a barbeque celebrating 50 years of excellence at Camp Beauregard in Pineville, La., Aug. 27, 2010.

Moldova day six: Next step on way to peacekeeping certification
September 1, 2010 — BULBOACA, Moldova, - The soldiers of Moldova's Company A, 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion, cleared the first hurdle on the way to Level Two NATO peacekeeping certification today after undergoing an... MORE

A Moldovan Soldier from Company A, 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion, takes a mock bandit into custody as part of an exercise designed to evaluate the unit's skills in international peacekeeping at Moldova's Bulboaca training facility, Aug. 19, 2010. For the past two weeks, North Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers have helped the Moldovans sharpen their peacekeeping skills in advance of a 2012 NATO evaluation.

U.S. forces transition to Operation New Dawn
September 1, 2010 — CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, - Today the United States military marks a historic milestone as it makes the transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn. This transition signifies a formal end... MORE

National Guard deployment to Southwest border on track
September 1, 2010 — ARLINGTON, Va., - After several weeks of training, more than 800 National Guardsmen in four states are now taking up their positions alongside border patrol agents in the Southwest, a Guard official... MORE

Tricare Retired Reserve health coverage launches
September 1, 2010 — FALLS CHURCH, Va., - For the first time, members of the Retired Reserve who are not yet age 60, the so-called "gray area" retirees, can purchase Tricare health coverage for themselves and their... MORE

Louisiana Guard, Active Component Airmen Complete Air-to-Air Integration Training

Air National Guard Leaders Host 2025 Wing Leader Fly-In

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