Guard News - The National Guard

Red Arrow Transformed by Joint Readiness Training Exercise
July 3, 2024 — FORT JOHNSON, La. - Over the past month, more than 5,000 Soldiers from across the United States and Canada, led by the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Wisconsin National Guard, have tested their... MORE

The first few days in “the box” have wrapped up for troops at the Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Johnson, Louisiana, during which they completed blank and live fire training exercises that put their skills to the test while bringing Soldiers from across the United States and Canada together to work as cohesive teams.

Iowa Air Guard Helps Small Town Recover from Flooding
July 2, 2024 — SIOUX RAPIDS, Iowa - Iowa Air National Guard members converged on the small town of Sioux Rapids over the weekend, cleaning up debris to alleviate the effects of historic flooding.Eric Boge, a high... MORE

U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Aaron Jacobson, a 185th Air Refueling Wing Civil Engineering Squadron pavements and construction equipment specialist, picks up debris using a skid steer loader in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, June 29, 2024. Airmen of the 185th ARW and 132nd Wing helped clean up debris in the wake of historic flooding in Northwest Iowa.

Idaho Guard Maintainers Supply Iron to the Fight
July 2, 2024 — BOISE, Idaho - The 124th Maintenance Group prepared more than a dozen A-10 Thunderbolt IIs assigned to the 124th Fighter Wing at Gowen Field from May 31 to June 5.The aircraft, pilots, maintainers and... MORE

Maintenance Airmen from the 124th Maintenance Group generate A-10 Thunderbolt IIs at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, June 4, 2024. The aircraft generation is in support of a weapons system evaluation program at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

New York Army Guard Tests Technology to Reduce Soldier Risk
July 1, 2024 — FORT DRUM, N.Y. – Soldiers from the New York National Guard’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team traveled to Fort Drum June 24-28 to get hands-on with new technologies designed to mitigate the risk to... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Johnny Pagan, an infantryman with the New York National Guard's 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, controls a soldier-borne sensor unmanned aerial vehicle in Fort Drum, N.Y., June 27, 2024. The system is portable and can be controlled by a single Soldier, allowing the drone to complete dangerous work Soldiers usually perform.

New Mexico National Guard Rescues Flood Victims
July 1, 2024 — RUIDOSO, N.M. - Six New Mexico Army National Guard Soldiers rescued four elderly Ruidoso residents from their home during a dramatic mission June 29 as floods began to wash out parts of the area... MORE

Six New Mexico Army National Guard Soldiers rescued four elderly residents from their home in Ruidoso June 29, 2024, as floods began to wash out parts of the area scarred by recent wildfires.

Puerto Rico Air Guard, 52nd Fighter Wing Train Together
July 1, 2024 — SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany - U.S. Airmen assigned to the 156th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the 156th Wing Staff, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, integrated with the 52nd Fighter Wing as a... MORE

U.S. Airmen with the 156th Wing, Puerto Rico Air National Guard, pose for a group photo at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, May 9, 2024. The 156th LRS integrated with the 52nd LRS as a force multiplier, assisting with daily operations and augmenting capabilities in support of the 52nd Fighter Wing Saber Knight Readiness Exercise 24-01.

Massachusetts Air Guard Helps Upgrade Comms at Joint Base Langley-Eustis
June 28, 2024 — JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. - The communications squadron at Joint Base Langley-Eustis had a challenge. The unit had identified hundreds of network switches on the base’s network that needed... MORE

Airmen sent by the 212th Engineering Installation Squadron, Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, pose during a capabilities tour at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. The Airmen performed network infrastructure upgrades at JBLE in May 2024.

177th Fighter Wing Enhances Readiness at Sentry Aloha Exercise
June 28, 2024 — JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - The 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard, alongside aviation units from across the United States, participated in Sentry Aloha 24-2 from May... MORE

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jean Zambrano, 177th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, poses for a photograph, while preparing an F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet from the 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, for takeoff during a launch at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, June 5, 2024. The enlisted Airmen of the 177FW played a vital role in keeping the unit’s aircraft operational during Sentry Aloha 24-2.

Pennsylvania Air Guard Enhances Ops at Iron Keystone Exercise
June 28, 2024 — FORT DRUM, N.Y. – Nearly all Airmen assigned to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard’s three wings participated in Exercise Iron Keystone 2024 across the commonwealth, with more than 90 from the 193rd... MORE

Airmen from across the 193rd Special Operations Wing facilitated a simulated key leader engagement for Exercise Iron Keystone 2024 at Fort Drum’s Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, June 8, 2024. The tri-wing exercise included elements of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 111th Attack Wing, 193rd Special Operations Wing and the 171st Air Refueling Wing.

West Virginia, North Carolina Guard Test NextGen Army Weapons
June 27, 2024 — FORT LIBERTY, N.C. – Soldiers with the West Virginia and North Carolina Army National Guard are among those testing what may become the Army’s new standard-issue rifle and machine gun.“To be able to... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Greg Richmond, with C Company, 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment, West Virginia Army National Guard, engages targets with the XM7 rifle and XM157 scope during night fire testing of the rifle and scope at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, as part of the Next Generation Squad Weapon system, June 13, 2024. The system includes the XM7 rifle, the XM250 automatic rifle, and the XM157 fire control system, which are designed to replace the current M4 carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, and the M240 machine gun.

South Carolina Airmen Join 2nd Joint Fox EMBER Training
June 27, 2024 — EASTOVER, S.C. - Eighteen South Carolina Air National Guard Airmen and 44 military personnel from seven states and one territory conducted Emergency Management Battlefield Expeditionary Response... MORE

U.S. Air Force National Guard and active-duty Airmen from 15 units across seven states and one territory converged for an emergency management battlefield expeditionary response deployment training at the McCrady Training Center, Eastover, South Carolina, June 7, 2024. The multi-day Fox EMBER exercise enabled Airmen to develop skills for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events during an immersive deployment environment using real-world scenarios.

National Guard Members Test Skills at Cyber Shield 2024
June 27, 2024 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Almost 1,000 participants flooded the Virginia National Guard State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach for the longest-running and largest Department of Defense cyber defense... MORE

Cyber Shield participants conduct the Certified Cyber Exercise Assessor Course during the annual Cyber Shield training event at the Virginia National Guard’s State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach June 6, 2024. Over 900 National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers, Airmen, civilian cyber professionals, and international partners participated in the exercise.

Alaska Air Guard Rescue Triad Demonstrates Capabilities
June 27, 2024 — JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guardsmen from the 176th Wing’s 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons conducted a rescue capabilities exercise June 25.The training at... MORE

An Alaska Air National Guard combat rescue officer (CRO) assigned to the 212th Rescue Squadron descends over Malemute Drop Zone during a capabilities exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, June 25, 2024. CROs, pararescuemen, and search, evasion, resistance, and escape specialists of the 212th RQS — known collectively as Guardian Angels — are experts in personnel recovery operations and are trained to infiltrate behind enemy lines to extract isolated U.S. and allied personnel.

F-15 EX Eagle II Makes Debut Landing at Portland Base
June 26, 2024 — PORTLAND, Ore. - Don’t mess this up. Those words raced through 142nd Wing fighter pilot Maj. Calvin Conner’s head as he landed the first F-15EX Eagle II at Portland Air National Guard base June 5.The... MORE

Oregon Air National Guard Majors Calvin Conner and Brandon Wigton, assigned to the 142nd Wing, 123rd Fighter Squadron, in Portland, prepare for takeoff with the newest F-15EX in Berkley, Missouri, June 5, 2024. Eighteen new EX models will be assigned to the 142nd Wing at Portland Air National Guard base.

South Carolina Guard Modernizes with NextGen Squad Weapons
June 24, 2024 — FORT STEWART, Ga. – Soldiers assigned to 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard, conducted an integrated training weapons... MORE

U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, South Carolina Army National Guard, conduct an integrated training weapons strategy qualification table for the newly fielded Next Generation Squad Weapon Rifle XM7 and Next Generation Squad Weapon Automatic Rifle XM250, during a week-long training event at Fort Stewart, Georgia, June 20, 2024. The South Carolina Army National Guard is the third Army National Guard command to receive the new weapons, following the North Carolina National Guard and the West Virginia National Guard.

Hybrid SATCOM Successfully Tested at Sentry Aloha Exercise
June 24, 2024 — JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - The Air National Guard/Air Reserve Command Test Center conducted a force development evaluation on the HC-130J Ku/Ka communications suite during the Sentry... MORE

A U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II sits on the flightline at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., May 12, 2023. The HC-130J provides rapidly deployable combat search and rescue forces to theater commanders worldwide.

Army, Air Medics Train Together for Operation Guardian Angel
June 24, 2024 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. - Medics from the Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard trained together recently to simulate a real-life medical emergency while in the field.Over 30 medics from the 628th... MORE

628th Aviation Support Battalion, 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard, conducted Operation Guardian Angel during annual training June 18, 2024. The 193rd Special Operations trained with the combat medics to stimulate a real-life scenario of medical emergencies.

Michigan Guard Engineers Train on Wet-Gap Crossing
June 21, 2024 — LITTLE FALLS, Minn. - Michigan National Guard Engineers of the 1437th Multi-Role Bridge Company worked through the night June 11 to unload trucks carrying boats and bridge sections during training on... MORE

Michigan National Guard Engineers of the 1437th Multi-Role Bridge Company worked through the night to unload trucks carrying boats and bridge sections and successfully pieced together a bridge across the Mississippi River during training on Camp Ripley, Minnesota, June 11, 2024.

56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Getting Upgraded Strykers
June 21, 2024 — FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – The 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team is getting more than 300 upgraded Stryker vehicles.The brigade, headquartered at Biddle Air National Guard Base in Horsham and with... MORE

Stryker vehicles from the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team await shipment at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., June 5, 2024. The 56th SBCT is turning in 322 old Strykers and receiving 316 upgraded vehicles.

Military Leaders Urge Congress to Pass Timely 2025 Defense Budget
June 20, 2024 — WASHINGTON - The 2025 Defense Department budget request prioritizes maintaining operational readiness, taking care of people and continuing to build a joint force that is lethal, resilient,... MORE

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, testifies before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense, during the National Guard and Reserve hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., June 18, 2024.