Virginia National Guard

Lynchburg-based infantry battalion returns to Virginia from Iraqi duty
August 25, 2010 — Approximately 300 Soldiers from the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team returned to the United States Aug. 25, 2010, after serving in Iraq since March 2010. The Soldiers flew into the Roanoke Regional Airport where they were greeted by senior leaders of the Virginia Guard as well as World War II veterans from the 29th Infantry Division Association and then travelled by bus to be reunited with their family and friends in their home armories in Bedford, Christiansburg, Lexington and Lynchburg... MORE

Virginia’s Task Force Overlord prepares for Iraq departure
August 10, 2010 — A sandy windswept parking lot makes an unlikely backdrop for military pageantry, but the Soldiers and leadership of 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment from Lynchburg, Va., did their best to uphold the finest traditions of the Army at their End of Mission and Colors Casing ceremony Aug. 8, 2010, at Contingency Operating Base Adder. The ceremony marked the end of Task Force Overlord’s formal mission in Iraq... MORE

Virginia Air Guard’s 203d RED HORSE helps with construction project on Arizona Navajo Reservation
June 2, 2010 — Airmen from the Virginia Beach-based 203d RED HORSE Squadron kicked off a special civil engineering project May 18 for renovation and construction work at St. Michaels Association for Special Education in Window Rock, Ariz. The 36 Airmen spent their two-week annual training period working on the project and returned to Virginia May 29... MORE

203d RED HORSE Squadron, family members honor lives lost on March 3, 2001
April 8, 2010 — Current and former 203d RED HORSE Squadron Airmen, family members and Virginia Air Guard leaders gathered for a memorial service recently to remember the 18 Virginia Air Guardsmen and three Florida Army Guardsmen who died in a military aviation crash on March 3, 2001... MORE

529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion conducts departure ceremony
March 25, 2010 — The Virginia National Guard’s Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a departure ceremony March 23 at the Sands Armory in Virginia Beach to mark the official start of the unit's federal active duty service. Approximately 80 Soldiers will operate as a command and control headquarters with the mission of planning and executing combat sustainment support for U.S. and coalition forces. The U. S. Army uses the term “sustainment” to describe a wide range of logistics support such as maintenance, food service, fueling, personnel and cargo transportation and medical support... MORE

203d RED HORSE in Florida for Operational Readiness Exercise with sister unit
January 28, 2010 — Nearly 70 Airmen with the 203d RED HORSE Squadron deployed to Camp Blanding, Fla., Jan. 27, 2010, ready to take part in an Operational Readiness Exercise with their sister unit, the 202nd RED HORSE Squadron... MORE

Virginia Department of Military Affairs plays key role in supporting Governor’s Inauguration
January 20, 2010 — Approximately 300 personnel from the Virginia Department of Military Affairs were on duty in Richmond Jan. 16, 2010, supporting the inauguration of Bob McDonnell as the 71st Governor of Virginia. Soldiers from the Virginia Army National Guard, Airmen from the Virginia Air National Guard and members of the Virginia Defense Force conducted a variety of missions including providing ceremonial music, firing a 19-gun salute, conducting a flyover with F-22 Raptors and providing command and control of the inaugural parade elements. A formation of Virginia Guard Soldiers and Airmen also led the inaugural parade... MORE

Virginia National Guard supports Gov. McDonnell Inauguration

Virginia ChalleNGe program graduates largest class in program history
January 14, 2010 — The Virginia National Guard’s Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduated the largest class in the history of the program Dec. 19 in a ceremony at Virginia Beach’s Ocean Lakes High School... MORE

New commander takes reins of 203rd Red Horse Squadron
August 19, 2009 — During a military change-of-command ceremony June 6, 2009, Lt. Col. Peter S. Garner took the reins of the 203rd Red Horse Squadron, a Virginia Air National Guard unit based at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach. He assumed command of the rapid-response engineering unit from Lt. Col. Scott A. Hill... MORE

Commonwealth ChalleNGe recognized for excellence at 2008 conference
January 15, 2009 — The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Program received the “Excellence in Responsible Citizenship Award” Jan. 9 at the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program Conference in Dallas... MORE

203rd RED HORSE takes to the field
November 6, 2008 — More than 160 Airmen from the 203rd RED HORSE Squadron experienced divergent weather and a range of training opportunities during the unit's annual field training exercise at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Oct. 23-26. For 100 of these RED HORSE men and women it was their first field experience: staying in tents, eating from a field kitchen and protecting their compound from mock attacks... MORE

Freedom Salutes honor Soldiers of 3rd Bn., 116th BCT
August 27, 2008 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers from Charlottesville, Woodstock, Leesburg, Fredericksburg, and Winchester gathered in multiple locations Aug. 16 and 17, 2008, to conduct Freedom Salute ceremonies to honor the service of 3rd Battalion, 116th Brigade Combat Team during its successful mission in Iraq and Kuwait from September 2007 to April and May 2008 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom... MORE

More than 1,300 Virginia Guard Soldiers return to Virginia after serving for months in Iraq
May 8, 2008 — With the scheduled return of E Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion to Roanoke May 13, 2008, more than 1,300 Virginia National Guard Soldiers have returned home in a 20-day period starting April 24. Approximately 400 Soldiers from the Tidewater area returned home on May 8 and 10 after having served in Iraq and Kuwait since September 2007. The Soldiers are assigned to the Portsmouth-based Headquarters Troop, the Norfolk-based A Troop, the Suffolk-based Troop B and the Virginia Beach-based C Troop... MORE

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen Mourn One of Their Own
April 22, 2008 — Several hundred service members filled the chapel here, April 15 to pay their last respects to Staff Sgt. Jesse A. Ault, who died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle April 9, 2008... MORE

Staunton area Va. Guard Soldiers return from Iraq
February 27, 2008 — Approximately 150 Soldiers assigned to the Headquarters of the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, based in Staunton, Va., returned home to Virginia Feb. 21 after serving in Iraq since June 2007. The returning Soldiers were greeted by hundreds of family members, friends and members of the Staunton community... MORE

Archive by Year

News Archive by Category