Guard News - The National Guard

Active-duty downsizing should benefit Reserve forces
March 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON - A policy board plans to ask Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta to highlight service in the reserve forces as a good option for outgoing active duty members during downsizing.In its first... MORE

Hawaii counterdrug program offers a second chance to at risk youth and families
March 8, 2012 — HONOLULU - As Alexander Pope said, "To err is human." For young people, errors can have a detrimental impact on the rest of their life. However, Pope also said, "To forgive is divine." Here in Hawaii,... MORE

Army Staff Sgt. Celeste Paglinawan and Army Sgt. Bernie Bumanglag, both with the Hawaii National Guard, facilitate the troubled youth of the Kokua Ohana Aloha Program.

Obama: Troops, veterans will benefit from housing settlement
March 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON - Thousands of service members and veterans whose mortgages were wrongfully foreclosed on, or who were improperly denied lower mortgage interest rates in the national housing crisis, can... MORE

Program to expedite security for troops at Reagan Airport announced
March 8, 2012 — WASHINGTON - Some service members traveling out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport soon will be able to speed through security as part of a joint Defense Department and Transportation... MORE

West Virginia National Guard members rescue stranded citizen after tornado
March 8, 2012 — KIAHSVILLE, W.Va. - On the evening of March 2, Janet LynnPorterfield - a resident from here - was doing something most of the state was doing: watching the development of a tornado on TV.But unlike... MORE

Army Spc. Timothy Copley, an infantryman with the West Virginia Army National Guard, picks up an unscathed picture from the ruins of resident, Janet Porterfields home March 5, 2012. Porterfield was trapped in her house for three days as National Guard Soldiers and Department of Highway workers struggled to clear fallen trees and debris out of the road.

Soldiers on path to success at National Guard Patriot Academy
March 6, 2012 — MUSCATATUCK URBAN TRAINING CENTER, Ind. - People face challenges every day and some of them can be more difficult than others, but regardless of what those challenges are or where they originate from,... MORE

Army Pfc. David Huff, Army Pvt. Tylor Dolfi, and Army Pvt. Evan Dancer, stand proudly in front of the National Guard Patriot Academy at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., Feb. 17, 2012. The three Alaska Army National Guard members are attending the National Guard Patriot Academy and are currently on track to earn their high school diplomas by the end of the summer.

Afghanistan: Georgia Guard welcomes visit from Bulgarian president
March 6, 2012 — KABUL, Afghanistan - After being in office for only a little over 30 days, the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev, and his delegation paid a special visit to his deployed... MORE

Army Col. Andy L. Hall, the commander of the 648th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade and Task Force Hydra, welcomes the Republic of Bulgaria's President, Rosen Plevneliev, to Camp Phoenix Feb. 29, 2012.

Indiana Guard members compete for best-of-the-best competition
March 6, 2012 — EDINBURGH, Ind. - Screams and cheers of encouragement filled the air as Indiana Army National Guard Soldiers navigated over obstacles designed to give the most skilled amongst them a challenge – all... MORE

Army Spc. Derek Thrasher, from the Directorate of Plans, Training, and Mobilization office at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., climbs a five-foot wall March 4, 2012 here during a qualification competition for the 2012 Indiana Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year competition. The three-day competition included several events to determine the best qualified to compete in the state competition.

North Carolina Guard member among those to meet first lady Obama
March 6, 2012 — RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina National Guard Army Staff Sgt. Stacy Garner is ready for anything. She has excelled while completing the Army Air Assault School and even deployed to a combat zone in... MORE

First Lady Michelle Obama arrives at Raleigh-Durham International Airport where she greeted active duty, National Guard and veteran service members along with their families from all branches of the military here, March 2, 2012. Here Obama talks to North Carolina Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Stacy Gardner and her family.

'Serving Our Troops' serves families, Minnesota Guard members at home, deployed
March 6, 2012 — ST. PAUL, Minn. - Soldiers currently deployed with the 1st Brigade Combat Team come from more than 500 Minnesota communities, but they all have one thing in common - each of them has a family they... MORE

Dozens of Delta volunteers showed up to help at a Serving Our Troops event at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, Minn. Feb. 25, 2012. More than 3,000 steak dinners were served to the families of deployed Minnesota National Guard 1st Brigade Combat Team Soldiers, while approximately 13,000 steak dinners were simultaneously served to service members at five military bases in and around Kuwait City. Throughout the meal, families were connected with their Soldier through live video feed and chats. This is the ninth project for the Minnesota-based group, with more than 70,000 steak dinners being served around the world since 2004.

Texas National Guard members support local authorities in emergency exercise
March 6, 2012 — EL CAMPO, Texas - Soldiers from Joint Task Force 71 received the activation call at 3:45 a.m. following the alleged terrorist incident. Within two hours, the men and women of the minuteman brigade... MORE

Guard members with Joint Task Force-71 support local and civil authorities during the El Campo Memorial Hospital Exercise, March 3, 2012. The training event, which simulated several hazardous and first response incidents, tested the alert and response capabilities of the different participating agencies. JTF-71 frequently engages joint and interagency exercises to improve department cooperation and communication.

Wyoming National Guard, Tunisia partnership expanding
March 5, 2012 — CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The African nation of Tunisia and the Wyoming National Guard are furthering their relationship a year after a Tunisian revolution kicked off the Arab Spring.The two countries were... MORE

The U.S. Ambassador to Tunisia, Gordon Gray, right, meets with Rick Kaysen, mayor of Cheyenne, Wyo., left; Army Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner, Wyoming adjutant general, center right; and Army Maj. Jim Cudney, the bilateral affairs officer in the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, Office of Security Cooperation, Feb. 16, 2012. The ambassador's visit was part of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program.

Kentucky Guard supports local communities in eastern Kentucky
March 5, 2012 — SALYERSVILLE, Ky. - Kentucky's motto, "United we stand, divided we fall," set the stage at ground zero after severe tornadoes ravaged several communities in eastern Kentucky, March 2.Local law... MORE

Army Spc. Matthew Sellers, Horizontal Engineer for the 207th Engineer Battalion, based in Hazard, Ky., shakes hands with Kenna Spears, district leader for Advance Auto Parts in Salyersville, Ky., March 3, 2012. Kentucky National Guard members from Hazard assisted local residents by directing traffic, aiding in search and rescue missions, and handing out supplies.

Kentucky governor: Devastation is "unlike anything I have ever seen"
March 5, 2012 — FRANKFORT, Ky. - After visiting catastrophic damages from Friday's severe storms and tornadoes, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear spoke with both President Barack Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet... MORE

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Harold Baker, a medic with the 165th.

Missouri National Guard mobilized to assist in storm response effort
March 5, 2012 — JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon has mobilized the Missouri National Guard to assist civil authorities in Branson following a night of severe storms."These storms have caused extensive damage... MORE

Army Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, tours southwest Missouri via UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter before meeting with Guard and local officials in Branson, Mo., the site of a Feb. 29, 2012, tornado. Gov. Jay Nixon activated the Missouri Guard for state emergency duty less than 24 hours after strong storms hit the state. About 120 Citizen-Soldiers are assisting local authorities.

Missouri Guard engineers assist Taney and Stone counties
March 5, 2012 — BRANSON, Mo. - Missouri National Guard engineers are supporting local law enforcement in southwest Missouri following last week's severe storms.Missouri National Guard Citizen-Soldiers are supporting... MORE

Citizen-Soldiers with the Missouri National Guard are assisting local law enforcement in Branson, Mo., following the community's run-in with a Leap Day 2012 tornado. Missouri Guardsman will stay on duty in Branson until released by civil authorities.

National Guard responds immediately after tornadoes
March 5, 2012 — FRANKFORT, Ky. - Before the first winds crossed the Commonwealth of Kentucky March 2, the Kentucky National Guard made preparations to keep its Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen safe and ready to assist in... MORE

Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Matlock, with the Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 623rd Field Artillery (HIMARS), accompanies Kentucky's Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson as they view the debris that covered the area of East Bernstadt, Ky., March 3, 2012.

Ohio Air Guard Airmen help test new bio-fuel for the F-16
March 5, 2012 — TOLEDO, Ohio - In a joint effort by Airmen from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and Airmen from the Ohio Air National Guard's 180th Fighter Wing, the F-16... MORE

Kentucky Guard conducts search and rescue operations
March 5, 2012 — WEST LIBERTY, Ky. - Kentucky National Guard Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen converged on the remains of West Liberty, Ky., March 3, to assist local fire and law enforcement in recovery and relief... MORE

Kentucky National Guard service members engage in a search and rescue mission in West Liberty, Ky., for survivors after torrential storms and violent winds destroyed much of the community there, March 2, 2012.

Partnership built during exercises succeeds during disaster
March 5, 2012 — FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky's Emergency Operations Center - the heart of recovery and relief efforts at the Boone National Guard Center - buzzed with activity March 3 after Gov. Steve Beshear declared a... MORE

Kentucky Air National Guard Capt. John P. Roth produces intelligence products in support of operations on March 3, 2012.

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