Guard News - The National Guard

Oregon Guard Helps Vietnam with Trauma Care Requirements
December 11, 2023 — SALEM, Ore. - The Oregon National Guard is helping its State Partnership program partner, Vietnam, develop the country's first International Trauma Life Support training chapter.The goal of ITLS is to... MORE

Oregon Air National Guard Lt. Col. Chris Webb demonstrates airway management skills during an International Trauma Life Support course in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in February 2023. The Oregon National Guard and Vietnam are partners through the State Partnership Program.

Arkansas Guardsmen Return from Southwest Asia Deployment
December 11, 2023 — LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Central Arkansas families are smiling a little brighter this holiday season after more than 350 Arkansas National Guardsmen returned Dec. 9 from a nine-month deployment to... MORE

Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, Arkansas adjutant general, greets Arkansas National Guard members returning from a nine-month deployment to Southwest Asia before they are reunited with their families Dec. 9, 2023.

Wisconsin Guard Security Forces Conduct Augmentee Training
December 8, 2023 — MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron geared up for its annual augmentee training, reinforcing its readiness. After years of program... MORE

Members of the 128th Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron practice combatives as part of augmentee training Nov. 9, 2023, at the Wisconsin Air National Guard base in Milwaukee. The augmentee training program, an essential component of the squadron's operations, prepares selected members to step into specialized roles during heightened security or crisis.

National Guard Members Showcase Innovation
December 8, 2023 — ARLINGTON, Va. - The 2023 National Guard Bureau Innovation Challenge showcased the inventive prowess of Guard members nationwide Dec. 7 at the Herbert R. Temple Jr. Army National Guard Readiness... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, SEA to the CNGB, center left and center right, respectively, with competitors of the 2023 National Guard Bureau Innovation Challenge at the Herbert R. Temple Jr. Army National Guard Readiness Center, Arlington Hall Station, Virginia, Dec. 7, 2023. Arizona Army National Guard members took home top honors for their concept of exportable maneuver live-fire capabilities that could help units achieve training requirements.

175th Wing Fire Department Helps Rescue Man from Frigid Water
December 8, 2023 — BOWLEYS QUARTERS, Md. - Maryland Air National Guard firefighters teamed up with the Baltimore County Fire Department to rescue a man who fell into frigid water near Martin State Air National Guard... MORE

Airmen assigned to the 175th Wing Fire Department saw into the roof of a simulated burning building to inspect for fire hazards during Operation Frosty Strike Nov. 30, 2023, at Martin State Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Md. Operation Frosty Strike was a full-scale readiness exercise that demonstrated the 175th Wing’s ability to survive and operate in a realistic combat environment against a near-peer adversary while fulfilling its federally assigned missions.

Couple Enlist Together in Wisconsin Air National Guard
December 8, 2023 — MADISON, Wis. - Husband and wife Steven Krueger and Paola Astudillo enlisted in the Wisconsin Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing in November, joining a wing that respects and promotes the bonds... MORE

Steven Krueger and Paola Astudillo, husband and wife, enlisted in the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing during a joint enlistment ceremony at Truax Field in Madison, Wisconsin, Nov. 22, 2023. Krueger, a prior Army Reservist and 115th Fighter Wing Airman, joined his wife for her first oath of enlistment after which his father, retired U.S. Army Col. Roy Krueger, administered his son's third.

Alabama Air Guard's 187th Fighter Wing Receives F-35 Jets
December 8, 2023 — DANNELLY FIELD, Ala. - The 187th Fighter Wing received three F-35 Lightning II fighter jets at Dannelly Field Dec. 5, becoming the third Air National Guard unit to transition to the fifth-generation... MORE

An F-35 Lightning II parked on the flight line at Dannelly Field Dec. 6, 2023. The 187th Fighter Wing received the first three F-35s from Luke AFB, Ariz., and will begin transitioning to their new mission.

Ohio Guard Marks 75th Anniversary of Military Desegregation
December 7, 2023 — RICKENBACKER AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ohio - The 121st Air Refueling Wing celebrated the 75th anniversary of desegregation in the U.S. military Dec. 2 and paid tribute to Sgt. Thomas Newton, a... MORE

Airmen from the 121st Air Refueling Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, and friends and family of Sgt. Thomas Newton, a documented Tuskegee Airman, stand as an honor guard member folds an American flag flown at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, to give to Newton in Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 2, 2023. Newton, who was stationed at RANGB when it was named Lockbourne Air Force Base, returned after 74 years to be the guest of honor during a ceremony to celebrate the 75th anniversary of desegregation in the U.S. military.

Kentucky Guardsman Completes Ranger School on First Go 
December 7, 2023 — FRANKFORT, Ky. – There are many leadership schools that service members can attend but few are more challenging than the U.S. Army Ranger School, where perfection is the standard, and nothing less is... MORE

Kentucky Army National Guard 2nd Lt. Dustin McKie-Miller's girlfriend, Army Capt. Carly Schroeder, puts the Ranger Tab patch on his arm after his graduation from Ranger School at Fort Moore, Georgia, Aug. 18, 2023. McKie-Miller aced every challenge of the Ranger training on his first attempt and finished the course in 62 days, the shortest time possible.

Maryland Air National Guard Demonstrates Readiness
December 6, 2023 — MIDDLE RIVER, Md. - The Maryland Air National Guard conducted a sweeping operational readiness exercise involving the full spectrum of missions and personnel across Martin State Air National Guard... MORE

Maryland Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Edmond Baghdassarian and Staff Sgt. Stefond Johnson, 175th Security Forces Squadron, establish communications during Operation Frosty Strike at Martin State Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland, Dec. 2, 2023. The 175th Security Forces Squadron participated in a four-day training exercise.

Alaska Guard Spreads Holiday Cheer to Remote Communities
December 6, 2023 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - For the 68th year, the Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa Claus is bringing the magic of the season to the remote communities of Fort Yukon, Golovin,... MORE

Santa and Mrs. Claus disembark from a C-17 Globemaster III and head to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to support Operation Santa Claus at Bethel, Alaska, Nov. 15, 2023. Operation Santa Claus is the AKNG’s yearly community outreach program that provides gifts and Christmas cheer to children in remote communities.

New York Army Guard Salutes Former President Van Buren
December 6, 2023 — KINDERHOOK, N.Y. - New York Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Michel Natali commemorated the 241st birthday of former President Martin Van Buren Dec. 5 by laying a wreath from the White House at the... MORE

New York Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Michel Natali and Command Sgt. Maj. Edwin Garris salute after placing a wreath from the White House marking the birthday of former President Martin Van Buren in Kinderhook, New York, Dec. 5, 2023. Natali presented a wreath from President Joseph Biden at the annual ceremony held at Van Buren’s gravesite in Kinderhook Reformed Cemetery.

Arkansas Air Guard Medics Provide Free Medical Care in Guatemala
December 5, 2023 — NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Thirty-six Arkansas National Guardsmen from the 188th Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith and the 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base in... MORE

Arkansas National Guardsmen from the 188th Wing at Ebbing Air National Guard base in Fort Smith and the 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville departed Dec. 1 for a seven-day mission providing free medical care in Guatemala City.

Hokanson at Reagan National Defense Forum: National Guard Part of the Fabric of America
December 4, 2023 — SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – When he returned from a tour in Iraq as the commander of the Oregon National Guard’s 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team in 2009, then-Army Col. Daniel Hokanson saw how the unit’s... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, participates in a panel discussion at the 2023 Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, Simi Valley, California, Dec. 2, 2023.

Red Arrow Veteran Awarded Purple Heart Medal Posthumously
December 4, 2023 — APPLETON, Wis. - One hundred and five years after the horrific battle that caused his wounds, a Wisconsin National Guard veteran received his Purple Heart medal at a ceremony Nov. 11 at Outagamie... MORE

Maj. Eric Van Hout, an administrative officer with the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, and Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan Johnson, battalion command sergeant major, present a Purple Heart medal to Mike Muthig, the grandson of World War I veteran Pvt. George Arts. Arts enlisted in the battalion’s Company I and was severely wounded Aug. 4, 1918, during the battalion’s assault on the town of Fismes.

New York Guardsmen Conclude Southern Vanguard 24 in Brazil
December 4, 2023 — MACAPA, Brazil - Forty-four New York National Guard Soldiers, working alongside active-duty Army and Brazilian Army Soldiers, conducted three weeks of training in Northern Brazil Nov. 1-16.Exercise... MORE

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers stand at attention during a promotion ceremony in Macapa, Brazil, Nov. 16, 2023. Forty-four New York National Guard Soldiers working alongside active-duty Army and Brazilian Army Soldiers conducted three weeks of training in Northern Brazil Nov. 1-16.

Georgia National Guardsmen Return from Overseas Mission
December 4, 2023 — MARIETTA, Ga. - More than 80 Soldiers of the Georgia National Guard’s 201st Regional Support Group Forward returned home Dec. 1 after a nearly year-long deployment to Europe. Soldiers and family... MORE

Col. Matthew Kukla and Command Sgt. Major Lafayette Deal, command team of the Georgia National Guard’s 201st Regional Support Group (Forward), uncase the unit colors during a welcome home ceremony at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Ga., Dec. 1 following a 10-month deployment to Europe.

USEUCOM, Austrian Defense Leaders Explore Expanded Cooperation
December 1, 2023 — STUTTGART, Germany - U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven Basham, U.S. European Command deputy commander, hosted Arnold Kammel, secretary general of the Austrian Ministry of Defense, and his staff at the... MORE

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Steven Basham, second from right, U.S. European Command deputy commander; and Ambassador Kate Marie Byrnes, third from left, civilian deputy and foreign policy advisor to U.S. European Command; host Arnold Kammel, center, secretary general of the Austrian Ministry of Defense, and members of Kammel’s staff at the command’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, Nov. 30, 2023. The meeting was aimed at identifying areas for future military cooperation and builds on a the State Partnership Program relationship between Austria and the Vermont National Guard.

Metals Technology Airmen Keep Aircraft in the Air
December 1, 2023 — PORTLAND AIR GUARD STATION, Ore. - Tucked away on base is the unassuming metals technology shop. The exterior gives no clue to the mission-critical work performed behind those walls.Metals technology... MORE

Staff Sgt. Nathan Carssow, a 142nd Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology craftsman, machines a stringer for a tail cone Nov. 4, 2023, at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon. By making the stringer in house, the wing has saved over $70,000.

First Lady Welcomes National Guard Families to White House
December 1, 2023 — WASHINGTON - For the second straight year, first lady Jill Biden welcomed National Guardsmen, spouses and children to the White House to discuss their challenges and how best to support them.The first... MORE

First lady Jill Biden welcomes National Guard senior leaders and family members for a roundtable discussion on support for National Guard children in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington Nov. 27, 2023. Attendees, including Guard children, and adjutants general, also joined the first lady’s presentation of the 2023 White House “Magic, Wonder & Joy” holiday theme and decorations.