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.

Tennessee National Guard Band Performs in Bulgaria
July 3, 2024 — SOFIA, Bulgaria – Tennessee Army National Guardsmen assigned to the 129th Army Band partnered with former members of the 572nd Air National Guard Band to celebrate U.S. Independence Day at the U.S... MORE

Airmen and Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard pose in front of the KC-135 Stratotanker crewed by Arizona National Guard's 161st Air Refueling Wing before departing Nashville for Sofia, Bulgaria, June 28, 2024, to support U.S. European Command’s U.S. Independence Day celebrations. The 129th Army National Guard Band, supplemented by former members of the 572nd Air National Guard Band, performed at the event.

Pennsylvania Guardsman Instructs Kenyans in Combat Care
July 2, 2024 — MANDA BAY, Kenya – The Pennsylvania National Guard and other U.S. military personnel facilitated a three-day training event with Kenyan Rangers and Infantrymen at Kenya Navy Base Manda Bay.The... MORE

Task Force Paxton medic Cpl. Vince Bartolome spent three days teaching Kenyan military forces Tactical Combat Casualty Care while stationed in Manda Bay, Kenya, in May 2024.

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.

Senior Enlisted Leader Officiates at Deployed Niece’s Promotion
June 28, 2024 — CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo - Deployments typically require a service member to leave their home, family and friends for an extended period, missing birthdays, holidays and significant occasions to serve... MORE

Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead, SEA to the chief, National Guard Bureau, promotes his niece to the rank of sergeant first class at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, June 24, 2024. Sgt. 1st Class Jasmine Promise, paralegal NCO in charge of the Regional Command East legal office, is deployed to Kosovo with the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade, supporting the Kosovo Force.

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.

Retired NY Army Guardsman Honored for 2004 Iraq Actions
June 28, 2024 — LATHAM, N.Y. - A retired New York Army National Guard Soldier was recognized for his heroic actions 20 years ago in Iraq during a ceremony at the Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters... MORE

Maj.Gen. Ray Shields, the adjutant general of New York, presents the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device to retired Master Sgt. Luis Barsallo during a ceremony at the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs headquarters in Latham, New York, June 27, 2024. Barsallo was recognized for heroism during combat in Samarra, Iraq, in April and May 2004 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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.

Kentucky Guard Engineers Support Djibouti Armed Forces
June 27, 2024 — CAMP DODGE, Iowa – Engineers from the Kentucky Army National Guard welcomed their counterparts from the Djibouti Armed Forces during the unit’s annual training event at Camp Dodge.The Kentucky... MORE

U.S. Army Capt. Colby Davis, the commander of the 130th Engineer Support Company, explains the planning phases of construction projects to engineer officers of the Djibouti Armed Forces at Camp Dodge, Iowa, May 15, 2024. The DAF visited the Kentucky Army National Guard's 206th Engineer Battalion's annual training to learn how to set up battalion-level engineer operations.

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.

North Carolina Guard, Moldova Join Forces for Cyber Shield 2024
June 27, 2024 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Moldovan officers returned to America for a second consecutive year to join North Carolina National Guardsmen during the annual Cyber Shield training event at Virginia National... MORE

North Carolina National Guardsmen from the North Carolina Joint Force Headquarters and Moldovan officers pose for a photo during the annual Cyber Shield training event at the Virginia National Guard’s State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach June 13, 2024. Cyber Shield is the longest running and largest Department of Defense cyber exercise comprising nearly 1,000 National Guard and Army Reserve Soldiers, Airmen, civilian cyber professionals, and international partners.

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.

North Dakota Guard, Togo Reinforce Resilience, Disaster Response
June 27, 2024 — LOMÉ, Togo - Senior Togolese officials from the Ministry of Security and the National Civil Protection Agency — called ANPC, based on its official name in French - l’Agence Nationale de la Protection... MORE

Maj. Gen. Alan Dorhmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and Republic of Togo Minister of Security and Civil Protection Calixte Batossie Madjoulba unveil a monument during a ceremony celebrating construction starting on the new National Emergency Operations Center being built in Lomé, Togo, June 26, 2024. Togolese and U.S. officials joined to celebrate the project, which is funded through the U.S. Africa Command’s Humanitarian Assistance program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managing the construction project.