Guard News - The National Guard

Opposing force is interoperable; ready for Saber Junction 18
September 28, 2018 — HOHENFELS, Germany – Eight partner nations joined active Army and National Guard Soldiers to serve as the opposing force (OPFOR) during exercise Saber Junction 18, Sept. 4 to-Oct. 1 at the 7th Army... MORE

Soldiers from the 119th Sapper Company, West Virginia National Guard, unload concertina wire in preparation for placement in a Hohenfels training area. The 119th is a part of the opposing force which simulates the enemy during the exercise scenarios. Saber Junction 18 is the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s combat training center certification exercise, taking place on the Grafenwoehr and Hohenfels training areas, Sept. 4 to Oct. 1, 2018.

N.Y. Guard Soldiers 'broke' Hindenburg Line 100 years ago
September 28, 2018 — LATHAM, N.Y. - On Sept. 29, 1918, the New York National Guard Soldiers of the Army's 27th Infantry division fought their way into the defensive works known as the Hindenburg Line. The attack did not... MORE

Soldiers of the New York National Guard's 107th Infantry Regiment, a part of the 27th Division, train with a British machine-gun armed tank during training for the assault on the Hindenburg Line during September 1918. When the attack kicked off, the 107th lost 1,000 men wounded and killed out of a strength of 1,662. The tanks that supported the attack on Sept. 29, 1918, were quickly knocked out.

Army Guard comm tool kit supports Florence response
September 27, 2018 — WHITEVILLE, N.C. - The North Carolina Army National Guard used its new tactical network communication tool suite, known as the Disaster Incident Response Emergency Communications Terminal, or DIRECT,... MORE

Soldiers from the North Carolina Army National Guard 295th Signal Network Support Company (NSC), 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade configure the Commercial Coalition Equipment (CCE), part of their Disaster Incident Response Emergency Communications Terminal (DIRECT) system. The unit used the system to support Columbus County Emergency Management 911 Dispatch in Whiteville.

U.S., Macedonia participate in flood response exercise
September 27, 2018 — SKOPJE, Macedonia - A team of nine American first responders traveled to Skopje for a flood response exercise Sept. 17-21. Named Comprehensive Response Vodno 2018, the exercise is part of the U.S... MORE

Macedonia officials conduct a mock press conference Sept. 20, 2018, during a flood response tabletop exercise in Skopje, Macedonia. The exercise was sponsored by the Civil-Military Emergency Preparedness Program and included the participation of first responders from the Republic of Macedonia and the United States.

South Carolina Soldiers erecting quick-deployment water barriers
September 27, 2018 — GEORGETOWN, S.C. - South Carolina National Guard Soldiers from the 1220th Area Clearance Platoon, 1226th Utilities Detachment and 1227th Engineering Detachment based in Batesburg, South Carolina,... MORE

Sgt. Cody Puckett, 1226th Engineering Company training NCO and heavy equipment leader, fills a HESCO water barrier with dirt outside the Tidelands Health Georgetown Memorial Hospital in Georgetown, South Carolina, on Sept. 25, 2018. Approximately 2,000 South Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are on duty to support local authorities in response and recovery operations to the ongoing flooding that followed Hurricane Florence's landfall. National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin are also supporting the South Carolina National Guard recovery efforts.

Retired sergeant major of the Army speaks with New York NCOs
September 26, 2018 — LATHAM, N.Y.— Young sergeants are not only the "backbone of the enlisted force" but they're a strategic asset as well, retired Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston told 80 New York Army National... MORE

Retired Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston speaks to New York Army National Guard noncommissioned officers during a NCO Professional Development Workshop held at Division of Military and Naval Affairs Headquarters in Latham, N.Y. ,on Sept. 21, 2018. Eighty NCOs attended the two-day course hosted by New York Army National Guard Command Sgt. Major David Piwowarski.

Pennsylvania Guard flies pump hoses and assesses flooding
September 26, 2018 — MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard task force in South Carolina launched reconnaissance and transportation missions Tuesday from Myrtle Beach International Airport... MORE

U.S. soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard prepare a CH-47 Chinook helicopter for a transportation mission at Myrtle Beach International Airport, Sept. 25, 2018. The crew flew equipment to Georgetown, South Carolina, in response to flooding in the area from Hurricane Florence.

National Guard assists SC DOT to stem flood effects
September 26, 2018 — PAWLEY'S ISLAND, S.C. - Soldiers from the South Carolina Army National Guard are assisting the state's Department of Transportation in constructing an AquaDam to keep Highway 17 open from Georgetown... MORE

U.S. Army Soldiers from the South Carolina Army National Guard’s Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 118th Regiment carry hoses to set up an AquaDam on Highway 17 in Georgetown County, S.C., Sept. 25, 2018. The Soldiers are assisting South Carolina Department of Transportation with setup of the AquaDam to keep roads open during the rising waters in the area after Hurricane Florence.

Idaho Guard provides casualty support to bereaved families
September 24, 2018 — BOISE, Idaho - When tragedy hits and a Soldier dies, their family does not have to go through the bereavement process alone. The Idaho Army National Guard has 120 certified casualty notification and... MORE

The Idaho National Guard held a Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 8, 2017, at Gowen Field Memorial Park, Boise, Idaho. The Idaho Army National Guard has 120 certified casualty notification and assistance officers ready to provide immediate support to families who have lost a Soldier of the active Army, Reserve or National Guard.

Civil engineer team builds air-to-ground range in Lithuania
September 24, 2018 — MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - This summer, the 201st RED HORSE took their skills "across the pond," sending four rotations of Pennsylvania Air National Guard members to Lithuania to help construct an... MORE

Tech. Sgt. Andrew Schmid, crew lead with the 201st Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, creates a make-shift funnel for adding hydraulic oil to equipment, Aug. 14, 2018. Schmidt is a team member of the third of four RED HORSE rotations traveling to Lithuania completing deployment for training by constructing a military air-to-ground training range to be used by NATO forces.

Guard nation comes together after Hurricane Florence
September 24, 2018 — RALEIGH, N.C. - Hurricane Florence slammed into the Carolina coast as a Category 1 storm Sept. 14, and then it sat there. Florence quickly downgraded to a tropical storm but moved slowly enough, at... MORE

The North Carolina National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Morrisville, North Carolina, hosted Guard members and aircraft from 13 states who have flown in to support the N.C. in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.

National Guard joins forces with Army Corps of Engineers
September 21, 2018 — CONWAY, S.C. - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers logistics and technical advisors join forces with South Carolina National Guard engineering battalions as part of Hurricane Florence response and recovery... MORE

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District Commander, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, left, coordinates flood mitigations efforts underway along U.S. Highway 501 in Horry County, S.C., with South Carolina Army National Guard Lt. Col. William A. Matheny, commander, 122 Engineering Battalion, Sept. 16, 2018. Army National Guard engineering units are working here with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers logistics and technical experts in support of FEMA, state and local partners during post-storm recovery operations.

Pennsylvania Guard rescues two South Carolina flood victims
September 21, 2018 — MULLINS, S.C. – Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team performed an aerial evacuation of two stranded residents Thursday. A Pennsylvania National... MORE

Flood victims hold hands aboard a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during an aerial evacuation over Marion County, South Carolina, Sept. 20, 2018. Pennsylvania Guard air crews joined to rescue them.

Massachusetts Guard member helps a neighbor in flood
September 20, 2018 — QUINCY, Mass. - While the remnants of Hurricane Florence continued to travel up the East Coast, Quincy was hit with flash flooding which resulted in some deep waters for commuters on Sept. 18. That... MORE

Spc. Mathew Hernon, a motor transport operator of the 1058th Transportation Company, Massachusetts National Guard, wades through the remnants of Hurricane Florence to assist a disabled woman trapped in her vehicle on Sept. 18, 2018.

Alaska, Calif., N.Y. Guard Airmen team up for N.C. rescues
September 20, 2018 — LUMBERTON, N.C.-The initial call from the local emergency operations center was that there were "ten plus one" people cut off at a farm by floodwaters who needed to be evacuated on Monday, Sept. 17... MORE

Pararescue Airmen Tech Sgt. Ryan Dush and Staff Sgt. Griffin Elzey, both members of the New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing, are lowered out of a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the wing during a rescue mission in Lumberton, North Carolina, on Sept. 17, 2018. The two Airmen were descending to make an assessment of how many people were in the house, surrounded by flood waters and the best way to get them out. Eventually 15 people were rescued by two HH-60s, one flown by New York Air Guardsmen and the other by an aircrew from the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing.

Tenn. Guard Helicopters arrive in N.C. for Florence Support
September 19, 2018 — NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Three Black Hawk helicopters from the Tennessee National Guard's 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion arrived in North Carolina late Monday to assist in the relief effort of... MORE

Aircrew of the Tennessee National Guard’s 1-230th Assault Helicopter Battalion prepares to depart for North Carolina Sept. 17, 2018 to assist in the relief efforts of Hurricane Florence. Three aircraft with hoist capability will provide medical evacuation support to those most affected by the storm, as well as the ability to transport medical patients and supplies.

Michigan National Guard is helping after Florence floods
September 19, 2018 — LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Army National Guard has mobilized six personnel from the Grand Ledge-based, C Company, 3-238th General Support Aviation Battalion and a HH60M Black Hawk helicopter to... MORE

Six Michigan Army National Guard Soldiers from the Grand Ledge-based, C Company, 3-238th General Support Aviation Battalion and a HH60M Black Hawk departed Sept. 17, 2018, to support relief efforts following the devastation and flooding caused by Hurricane Florence.

South Carolina Guard rises to occasion as waters go up
September 19, 2018 — CHESTERFIELD, S.C. - Tropical Storm Florence dumped unprecedented amounts of rain on the Carolinas during the weekend of Sept. 14-16, causing many rivers connecting the two states to overflow. That... MORE

South Carolina National Guard Soldiers and Bennettsville, S.C., law enforcement work together to help the local community evacuate as flooding caused by Tropical Storm Florence forces people from their home, Sept.16, 2018. Approximately 3,400 Soldiers and Airmen have been mobilized to prepare, respond and participate in recovery efforts as Tropical Storm Florence has caused flooding and damage to the state.

Indiana National Guard units supporting Florence relief
September 19, 2018 — INDIANAPOLIS – The 38th Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to Raleigh, North Carolina, on Sept. 16 to support Hurricane Florence relief efforts. After the request for aviation support was received from... MORE

Indiana National Guard soldiers with the 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion prepare a UH-60 for takeoff at the Gary Aviation Facility and prep the aircraft for hurricane relief efforts on September 16, 2018.

N.Y. Guard helicopters take off supporting hurricane rescue
September 19, 2018 — ROCHESTER, N.Y.-Two CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters departed the New York Army National Guard flight facility in Rochester Monday morning with eight Soldiers to assist in the Hurricane Florence... MORE

HH-60 helicopters from the 106th Rescue Wing, New York Air National Guard, take off from Oceana, Virginia, in support of Hurricane Florence Relief Operations, September 12, 2018.

Exercise Grindstone Tests Kentucky Air Guard’s Earthquake Response

Pennsylvania Guard Medical Training Sites Consolidate, Aligning Training Efforts

Nordhaus to Senate: ‘National Guard Delivers Incredible Value to America’

Alaska Air Guard's 168th Wing Helps Deliver Connectivity to Remote Alaska

Puerto Rico Air Guard Hosts Emergency Management Deployment for Training