Guard News - The National Guard

Civic Leaders Fly With Alaska Air Guard During Red Flag Alaska 25-2
July 3, 2025 — EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska – The Alaska Air National Guard’s 168th Wing hosted a civic leader flight June 24 that offered local leaders an opportunity to view an aerial refueling mission over the... MORE

Civic leaders and newly commissioned U.S. Air Force pilot trainees gather with the 168th Wing KC-135 Stratotanker aircrew following an aerial refueling mission during Red Flag-Alaska 25-2, June 24, 2025.

Ohio Guard Attends Exercise Platinum Wolf in Serbia
July 3, 2025 — RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany – Several high-ranking officials from U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, or USAFE-AFAFRICA, and the Ohio National Guard participated in the June 26 Distinguished... MORE

Washington Army Guard Trains in Water Bucket Operations
July 2, 2025 — PUYALLUP, Wash. - To prepare for wildfire season, aviation crews from the Washington Army National Guard have been working to become certified in water bucket operations, completing as many... MORE

A UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 140th Aviation, 96th Troop Command, Washington Army National Guard conducts water bucket training with Central Pierce Fire and Rescue, June 30, 2025, near Puyallup, Wash.

Maryland Air Guard Provides Pilot Experience for Children Fighting Cancer
July 2, 2025 — MIDDLE RIVER, Md. – The Maryland Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Squadron hosted two children as honorary pilots June 7 as part of the Pilot for a Day program at Warfield Air National Guard Base at... MORE

Maryland Air National Guard Capt. Carson Miller (middle-left), an A-10C Thunderbolt ll pilot assigned to the 104th Fighter Squadron, Master Sgt. Jonathan Lorenz (middle-right), avionics technician for the 175th Maintenance Squadron, and Elena LeMoine (left) and Maverick Bell (right), pose for a group photo in front of an A-10C Thunderbolt II static display at Warfield Air National Guard Base at Martin State Airport, Maryland, June 7, 2025. LeMoine and Bell, as well as their families, attended "Pilot For a Day," facilitated by the Gold in Fight Foundation, which invites children and families from the local community who have catastrophic illnesses to spend the day with pilots. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Laura Virtue)

Alaska Army Guard Rescues Family Stranded on River During Storm
July 2, 2025 — BETHEL, Alaska — Alaska Army National Guard aviators assigned to the 207th Aviation Battalion rescued a family of six June 30 near Tuntutuliak on the Kuskokwim River.The Alaska Rescue Coordination... MORE

Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nick Lime, an aviator assigned to 207th Aviation Battalion, assists six distressed people stranded on the Kuskokwim River during a rescue mission June 30, 2025.

lowa Airmen Take Training to New Heights
July 1, 2025 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – More than 75 Airmen from the Iowa Air National Guard’s 132d Logistics Readiness Squadron, 132d Communications Squadron and 132d Wing Staff traveled to Joint... MORE

Staff Sgt. Brock Logan (in the main cab) from the 132d Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Maintenance looks up at Staff Sgt. Russell Bunger (in the de-icing boom cabin) both requalified on de-icing equipment with the help of the 176th LRS Vehicle Maintenance, Alaska Air National Guard.

West Virginia Guard Continues Flood Cleanup Efforts
July 1, 2025 — WHEELING, W. Va. – The West Virginia National Guard continues to work with local, state and volunteer partners on flood recovery operations in the severely damaged communities of Marion and Ohio... MORE

Soldiers of the 115th Engineer Vertical Construction Company, 119th Engineer Company (Sapper), 601st Engineer Support Company, 821st Engineer Construction Company, 1092nd Engineer Battalion, 150th Cavalry Regiment, and Airmen with the 167th and 130th Airlift Wings continue to partner with emergency managers, public works, community members, local businesses and volunteers to support debris removal and community assessments from flooding that happened on June 16th in W.V.

South Dakota Air Guard’s New Therapy Dog Lends a Pawsitive Touch
July 1, 2025 — JOE FOSS FIELD, S.D. – At the 114th Fighter Wing, the commitment to Airmen extends beyond physical readiness and now includes a four-legged presence focused on mental wellness. Captain, a 2-year-old... MORE

Captain, facility therapy dog, 114th Fighter Wing, greets Airmen as they work June 24, 2025 at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota.

Missouri Airmen Provide Airlift in Central American Exercise
June 30, 2025 — ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing completed its first-ever support of CENTAM GUARDIAN 2025, a multinational exercise hosted by U.S. Southern Command and the... MORE

U.S. Air Force and Guatemalan Aircraft stage for a photo during CENTAM Guardian 25, May 20, 2025.

Tennessee Guard Participates in Bulgaria’s Best Warrior Competition
June 30, 2025 — VELIKO TARNOVO, Bulgaria – Members of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard competed in the Bulgaria Armed Forces’ first multinational Best Warrior Competition at the National Military... MORE

Members of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard competed in the Bulgaria Armed Forces’ first multinational Best Warrior Competition, at the National Military University, June 23-26.

Washington Guard Improves Park Through Innovative Readiness Training
June 30, 2025 — ORTING, Wash. – Washington Army National Guard members are making improvements to a community park while also receiving valuable training that can support domestic and overseas missions.“I believe... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Zachary Williamson, right, with the 176th Engineer Company, 420th Chemical Battalion, 96th Troop Command, Washington National Guard, is instructing Soldiers in his unit about tongue and groove roof decking for the restroom facility at Charter Park, Orting, Wash, June 19, 2025.

State Partnership Program Enables Global, Shared ‘Peace through Strength’
June 27, 2025 — WASHINGTON, D.C. – For more than 30 years, the National Guard has helped bolster the capabilities of foreign militaries, effectively broadening the pool of partners who are willing and able to... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Soloff, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 1st Brigade, 178th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, observes Polish Territorial Defence soldiers as they prepare range cards necessary for Javelin deployment during Javelin anti-armor ambush training at the TDF Training Center in Toruń, Poland, June 11, 2025.

Massachusetts National Guard, Kenya Strengthen Partnership
June 27, 2025 — NAIROBI, Kenya - In 2025, the Massachusetts National Guard and the Kenya Defence Forces commemorate a decade of collaboration through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership... MORE

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard (MANG), observes the progress of the ongoing M1117 Armored Support Vehicle refurbishment initiative at the Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi, Kenya, May 30, 2025.

Michigan Guard, Liberia Mark 15 Years of Partnership
June 27, 2025 — CAMP GRAYLING, Mich.—The Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia celebrated the 15th anniversary of their partnership in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau’s State... MORE

Michigan Army National Guard, stand for a photo in front of a white pine – Michigan’s state tree – dedicated near the Camp Grayling chapel to symbolize the strength of the Michigan-Liberia partnership

California Army Guard Members Reflect on LA Federal Protective Mission
June 27, 2025 — JOINT FORCES TRAINING BASE ALAMITOS, Calif. – For many California Army National Guard Soldiers on duty in the Los Angeles area as part of the federal protective mission securing federal buildings and... MORE

U.S. Army Soldiers with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard, arrive at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, June 22, 2025.

Missouri Guard Airmen Play Critical Role in Iran Nuclear Strike Mission
June 27, 2025 — WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a major display of strategic airpower, the Missouri National Guard’s 131st Bomb Wing played a pivotal role in the U.S. military operation targeting three nuclear weapons... MORE

A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit is prepared for operations ahead of Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, June 2025.

Massachusetts Guard Hosts Regional Cooperation Exercise
June 26, 2025 — JOINT BASE CAPE COD, Mass. — Nearly 250 military personnel from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan (U.N. neutral participant), Uzbekistan, Mongolia and the United States,... MORE

During Exercise Regional Cooperation 25 (RC 25), Mongolian partners board a UH-60 Black Hawk at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts, on June 24, 2025.

California Army Guard Cavalry Unit Takes on Federal Protection Mission
June 26, 2025 — JOINT FORCES TRAINING BASE ALAMITOS, Calif. – For the Soldiers of Troop A, 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry Regiment, California Army National Guard, the past few years have been busy. “In 2018, we started... MORE

U.S. Army Pvt. Arnoldo Solorzano, a cavalry scout with Troop A, 1st Squadron, 18th Cavalry Regiment, California Army National Guard, watches through his riot shield as U.S. Army Sgt. Jose Benitz, from the same unit, reviews proper positioning and movement techniques during training on riot and crowd control procedures at Joint Forces Training Base Los Alamitos, California, on June 22, 2025.

New York Guard Trains for Disaster Response
June 25, 2025 — NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. – One hundred New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from across the state participated in Operation Buffalo Falls, a Homeland Response Force (HRF)... MORE

Soldiers assigned to the 153rd Troop Command, New York Army National Guard monitor operations during Exercise Buffalo Falls, June 5, 2025. The Homeland Response Force exercise emphasized rapid coordination across cyber, logistics, and command elements during a simulated domestic crisis.

Illinois Guard Soldier Returns to College Wrestling After Deployment
June 24, 2025 — URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Before he returned to the wrestling mat at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Spc. Joe Braunagel of O’Fallon, Illinois, returned from something much more... MORE

Spc. Joe Braunagel, right, trains during a wrestling session at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, June 17, 2025.