Guard News - The National Guard

Tennessee Guard Provides Drinking Water to Helene Victims
October 7, 2024 — MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. – Guardsmen with the Tennessee Army National Guard’s A Company, 169th Divisional Sustainment Support Battalion, deployed a tactical water purification system Oct. 6 to provide... MORE

U.S. Army National Guard Spc. Diamond Espinoza, a water treatment specialist assigned to Alpha Company,169th Divisional Sustainment Support Battalion, pumps water for a resident in Mountain City, Tennessee, Oct. 6, 2024. The Tennessee National Guard continues to support the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and the state, county and local first responders in the areas impacted by severe flooding following Hurricane Helene.

DC National Guard, Jamaica Celebrate 25-year Partnership
October 7, 2024 — WASHINGTON – District of Columbia National Guard and Jamaican Defense Force leaders celebrated their 25-year partnership under the State Partnership Program Oct. 5. The Commanding General’s Reception,... MORE

Maj. Gen. John C. Andonie, interim commanding general), District of Columbia National Guard, welcomed Brigadier Markland Lloyd, force executive officer, Jamaica Defence Force; Warrant Officer Class One Michael Moulton, force sergeant major, and Brigadier Ricardo Blidgen, brigade commander for the Jamaican National Reserve, during the Commanding General’s Reception at the D.C. Armory Oct. 5, 2024. The reception honored a 25-year State Partnership Program relationship between the D.C. Guard and Jamaica.

Oregon Guardsman Tops World Burpee Record
October 7, 2024 — SALEM, Ore. - Maj. Tommy Vu of the Oregon Army National Guard has reclaimed his world record for the most chest-to-ground burpees completed in one hour, performing 1,027 repetitions Oct. 5. Vu, a... MORE

A moment of triumph during Maj. Tommy Vu's world record attempt at a gym in Salem, Ore., Oct. 5, 2024. From left: Pedro Velasquez, Oregon National Guard state equal employment manager; Linda Vu, the major's wife holding son Adonis; and Maj. Tommy Vu as he nears his goal of 1,027 chest-to-ground burpees in one hour.

Alaska Air Guard Provides Security at Pacific Angel Exercise
October 7, 2024 — KATHMANDU, Nepal - The 168th Wing Security Forces Defenders provided a fly-away security team to support Pacific Angel 24-2 in Kathmandu Sept. 16-29.PA 24-2 is a bilateral search and rescue exercise... MORE

Nepali Army members await care after a simulated hazardous material emergency during Pacific Angel 24-2 in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sept. 17, 2024. PA 24-2’s objective is to promote humanitarian assistance and disaster response capacity-building by facilitating military, civilian and nongovernmental organization cooperation and improve search and rescue collaboration between the United States and Nepal.

Tennessee Guardsmen Continue Supporting Helene Recovery Efforts
October 6, 2024 — NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More than 450 Soldiers and Airmen with the Tennessee National Guard continue to support state, county, and local first responders in East Tennessee areas impacted by severe flooding... MORE

Tennessee Air National Guardsmen loading a truck with debris in Hampton, Tennessee, on Oct. 2, 2024.

National Guard Soldier Helps Neighbors Through Helene Relief Efforts
October 6, 2024 — GAFFNEY, S.C. – When Tropical Storm Helene hit South Carolina, it brought widespread damage and left communities like Gaffney grappling with power outages, flooding, and a shortage of basic... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kevin Garcia, a tank commander assigned to Bravo Company, 1-118th Infantry Regiment, Armored Brigade Combat Team, distributes water and supplies in Gaffney, South Carolina, Oct. 2, 2024.

Ohio Guard Airmen Deploy to NC to Support Helene Recovery Efforts
October 4, 2024 — COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 121st Air Refueling Wing Fatality Search and Recovery Team deployed to North Carolina from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base Oct. 1, after being activated to support response... MORE

Airmen with the 121st Air Refueling Wing’s Fatality Search and Recovery Team, part of the Ohio Homeland Response Force, prepare to deploy to North Carolina in support of Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 1, 2024.

Virginia National Guard Continues Support After Hurricane Helene
October 4, 2024 — RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia National Guard continues to support response efforts after Hurricane Helene with troops staged Oct. 4 in Abingdon, Virginia. Approximately 20 Soldiers with tactical... MORE

Wash. Guard, Thai Partners Prepare for the Unexpected During Disaster Relief Exchange
October 4, 2024 — CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – Members of the Washington Army National Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Washington Emergency Management Division hosted a Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster... MORE

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Keith Kosik, Washington National Guard State Partnership Program director and Lt. Col. Joel Johnson, Washington bilateral affairs officer, Thailand, deliver an introduction to the Washington Military Department to members of the Royal Thai Army during a humanitarian aid and disaster relief subject matter expert exchange on Camp Murray, Wash., Sept. 24, 2024.

Tennessee Guard Engineers Continue to Support Helene Recovery Efforts
October 3, 2024 — NASHVILLE, Tenn. – More than 100 Tennessee Army and Air National Guard engineers continue to support recovery operations in East Tennessee counties impacted by severe flooding following Hurricane... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Kevin Jackson, a senior leader from the 134th Mission Support Squadron helps clear debris with Airmen from the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron, in Elizabethton, Tenn., Oct. 2, 2024.

Canadian Armed Forces Awards Kansas ANG Unit With Top Honors
October 3, 2024 — SALINA, Kansas – A Kansas Air National Guard unit received one of Canada’s highest military honors for their help in restoring a specialized capability that was all but lost.Top-level Canadian Armed... MORE

From left, Maj. Gen. John Errington, commander of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre; U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kevin Thomas, commander of the 284th Air Support Operations Squadron; and Chief Warrant Officer Pascal Gagne, Sergeant Major of the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre, hold the scroll element of the Canadian Forces Unit Commendation award during a ceremony at Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range, Kansas, Oct. 1, 2024.

National Guard Rescues Hundreds of People in Wake of Hurricane
October 3, 2024 — ARLINGTON, Va. - More than 6,300 National Guard members from a dozen states rescued hundreds of people and cleared roads across the Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Helene.As of Sunday, Guardsmen in... MORE

Soldiers with the Florida Army National Guard’s 1-111th General Support Aviation Regiment worked alongside members of the Texas A&M Task Force 1 Search and Rescue Team to conduct emergency response operations after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida.

Georgia Guard Supports Partner Agencies Responding to Helene
October 3, 2024 — MARIETTA, Ga. – Since Hurricane Helene landed on Sept. 27, the Georgia Army National Guard has provided response and recovery support to residents affected by the storm, working alongside civilian... MORE

U.S. Army Cpt. Charles Smith, a logistics officer assigned to the Macon-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 148th Brigade Support Battalion, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, coordinates response efforts with civilian agencies from Georgia and New Jersey, Oct. 1, 2024, at the Macon State Farmer’s Market in Macon, Georgia.

Guard Airmen, Soldiers Train To Care for Fallen Comrades
October 2, 2024 — FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. – For two weeks in September, National Guard Airmen and Soldiers dedicated themselves to preparing for one of the most solemn duties in the military: handling and returning the... MORE

Fredrick Kennebrew, left, a mortuary affairs evaluator assigned to the Joint Test and Evaluation Program, observes fatality search and recovery team Airmen and mortuary affairs Soldiers as they practice temporary interment of simulated contaminated human remains during an exercise at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia, Sept. 11, 2024. The exercise was part of a quick reaction test to refine the techniques, tactics and procedures for managing and caring for the remains of fallen service members.

Texas Air Guard Supports Flood Response in Czechia
October 2, 2024 — ČÁSLAV AIR BASE, Czechia – The 147th Attack Wing has shifted its focus from the NATO-led Ample Strike 2024 exercise to help Czechia respond to one of the most severe weather-related events it has ever... MORE

A Czech emergency services official reviews aerial footage captured by a Texas Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper during flood relief operations at Čáslav Air Base, Czechia, Sept. 17, 2024. The footage is being used to coordinate response efforts and prioritize areas most affected by the flooding.

Idaho Army National Guard Fields Latest Artillery Platform
October 2, 2024 — BOISE, Idaho - The 1-148th Field Artillery Regiment, Idaho Army National Guard, has upgraded its combat capability with 18 new Paladin M109A7 next-generation artillery systems. The regiment conducted... MORE

The 1-148th Field Artillery Regiment is the latest unit in the Idaho Army National Guard to upgrade its combat capability as modernization efforts across the U.S. Army and Army National Guard take shape. The unit received 18 new Paladin M109A7 next-generation artillery systems and conducted its first live-fire exercises using the long-range guns earlier this month at the Orchard Combat Training Center in Boise.

Maryland Guard, Bosnia and Herzegovina Conduct Cyber Exchange
October 2, 2024 — LAUREL, Md. – The Maryland Army National Guard’s Cyber Protection Team 169 partnered with their counterparts from the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina for a cyber knowledge exchange Sept... MORE

Members from the Maryland National Guard and the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina pose for a group photograph outside the Pvt. Henry Costin Readiness Center in Laurel, Maryland, Sept. 19, 2024. AFBiH members from the Cyber Operations Center spent a week in Maryland conducting a military-to-military exchange with the CPT 169 to enhance their capabilities through a collaborative learning environment.

World War II POW Guardsman Returned Home for Burial
October 2, 2024 — CHICAGO - Illinois Army National Guard Pfc. Harry Jerele of Berkeley, Illinois, is finally home, nearly 84 years after Company B, 192nd Tank Battalion, based in Maywood, was activated for federal... MORE

A military and funeral honors team loads the flag-draped coffin containing the remains of Illinois Army National Guard Pfc. Harry Jerele into a hearse at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago Oct. 1, 2024. Jerele was a World War II prisoner of war who died in captivity in 1943.

Oklahoma Guard Hosts Wildland Fire Drone Integration Exercise
October 2, 2024 — WEATHERFORD, Okla. - The Oklahoma National Guard partnered with Southwestern Oklahoma State University, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Weatherford Fire Department to host a multi-agency wildland... MORE

Sgt. Donald Underwood, an unmanned aerial systems operator with Delta Company, 545th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, operates a UAS during a multi-agency wildland firefighting unmanned aerial systems integration exercise at Crowder Lake near Weatherford, Oklahoma, Sept. 25-26, 2024. The exercise brought the Oklahoma National Guard, state and local agencies and several private UAS companies together to develop a common operating picture.

North Carolina Guard Delivers Food, Water to Hurricane Victims
October 2, 2024 — ASHEVILLE, N.C. - As part of a coordinated relief effort with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the North Carolina Air National Guard has delivered over 100,000 pounds of food, water and other... MORE

Members of the North Carolina Air National Guard transport more than 100,000 pounds of essential goods to Western North Carolina in support of humanitarian efforts following Hurricane Helene. The cargo, delivered aboard a C-17 Globemaster III, included more than 48 pallets of water, Meals Ready to Eat and other vital supplies.