Virginia National Guard

Virginia warrant officers take top honors at final WOCS phase
June 3, 2018 — The third and final phase of reserve component Warrant Officer Candidate School brings together National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve candidates from across the nation for two weeks of training. In April, Virginia’s candidates joined 40 of their peers at Fort McClellan in Alabama where they distinguished themselves as some of the best in the nation. On April 21, 2018, all eight of the warrant officer candidates enrolled in Class 18-001 of the Virginia National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School graduated WOCS and became warrant officers. In May, the eight returned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and were recognized for their outstanding success at WOCS. ... MORE

Officer candidates prep for final phase of OCS
May 7, 2018 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Officer candidates from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., spent a long weekend in May preparing for the third and final phase of Officer Candidate School during a regional Field Level Exercise held May 4-6, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

Approximately 30 National Guard officer candidates from Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., train together during a regional Field Level Exercise May 5, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise aimed to prepare the candidates for the third and final phase of Office Candidate School, which they will attend later this summer. (U.S. National Guard photo by Terra C. Gatti)

Officer candidates prep for final phase of OCS
May 7, 2018 — Officer candidates from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., spent a long weekend in May preparing for the third and final phase of Officer Candidate School during a regional Field Level Exercise held May 4-6, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

Virginia National Guard commissions four new officers
May 2, 2018 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The Virginia National Guard welcomed four newly-commissioned second lieutenants to its ranks April 29, 2018, during a commissioning ceremony held at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The new lieutenants were all graduates of the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 61A. ... MORE

Second Lt. Abando A. Nkwanyou receives his lieutenant bars during a commissioning ceremony held April 29, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

Virginia National Guard commissions four new officers
May 2, 2018 — The Virginia National Guard welcomed four newly-commissioned second lieutenants to its ranks April 29, 2018, during a commissioning ceremony held at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The new lieutenants were all graduates of the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 61A... MORE

WOCs team up with Hanover Habitat for Humanity for outreach project
March 1, 2018 — Warrant Officer Candidates assigned to Class 18-001 of the Virginia National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School, taught at the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, linked up with a crew from Hanover Habitat for Humanity, Feb. 24, 2018, to complete a community project in Mechanicsville, Virginia. ... MORE

Virginia Guard OCS commissions 29 new officers
August 28, 2017 — The Virginia National Guard welcomed 29 new second lieutenants from Officer Candidate School Classes 59 and 60B Aug. 26, 2017, at a commissioning ceremony held at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, administered the oath of office to the graduates, and Governor Terry McAuliffe and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran joined Williams in congratulating the new lieutenants in earning their commissions and thanking their families for their support. Brig. Gen. Lapthe Flora, Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General for Army Strategic Initiatives, offered advice to the new officers on how to succeed in their upcoming leadership positions... MORE

183rd RTI hosts historic pistol match at Fort Pickett
June 28, 2017 — It was a historic year of firsts for the Virginia National Guard’s Adjutant General’s Pistol Match, held June 23-25, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. A record-setting 72 shooters, from both the Army and Air National Guard, turned up to test their marksmanship skills against some of the best shooters in the state. For the first time in the event’s history, a team from the Air National Guard became the state’s pistol champions and Sgt. Alexandra Wilson, assigned to Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center, became the first female state pistol champion and the first female recipient of the Governor’s Twenty tab... MORE

Va. Guard Soldiers, Airmen awarded for rifle marksmanship excellence
May 22, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen received awards for their outstanding performance during the Adjutant General’s 2017 Rifle Match May 21, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Sixty-five participants competed in a variety of individual and team events May 19-20, hosted by the Fort Pickett-based 3rd Battalion, 183rd Regional Training Institute. The state-level competition included events such as reflexive fire, an urban assault course, and a course for the Army’s Excellence in Competition badge. All Virginia National Guardsmen are welcome to attend, regardless of rank or prior weapon qualification scores, because it is most importantly a training and sustainment event... MORE

Virginia Guard OCS commissions new officers
April 27, 2017 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 60A was dressed to impress at their graduation and commissioning ceremony April 22, 2017, in the auditorium of Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute... MORE

Four officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia Guard's Officer Candidate School receive their commissions April 22, 2017, at Fort Pickett's 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers and leaders. The candidates heard remarks from Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Assistant Adjutant General of Virginia, before taking their oath of office, affixing their new rank and receiving their first salute as lieutenants from a member of the enlisted ranks. The candidates completed an eight-week National Guard Bureau Accelerated OCS program at Fort McClellan, Alabama which began in February. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Amanda H. Johnson)

Va. WOCS candidates earn top honors in final training phase
April 19, 2017 — After completing a three-phase program to become warrant officers, 10 Soldiers from Virginia stood amongst more than 70 of their peers April 8, 2017, in a ceremony to mark their successful completion of Warrant Officer Candidate School. The ceremony was held at the Alabama Military Academy at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Among the nine graduates from Virginia, most of whom serve in the Virginia National Guard, one was named distinguished honor graduate, two placed on the commandants list and one earned top marks for her physical fitness prowess... MORE

183rd RTI hosts open house, demonstrates capabilities
September 24, 2016 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute demonstrated their capabilities during an open house Sept. 24, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. RTI’s mission is to provide transition training in the infantry, transportation and military police career management fields as directed by the One Army School System, as well as operate the state’s officer and warrant officer commissioning schools... MORE

Candidates, cadre, graduates celebrate OCS 58th birthday
April 26, 2016 — RICHMOND, Va. — Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrated its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action... MORE

Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrate its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Va. Guard OCS commissions 17 new officers
August 26, 2015 — FORT PICKETT, Va. – In a ceremony held Aug. 22, 2015, 17 officer candidates enrolled in Class 57 of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School received their commissions in a traditional graduation ceremony held at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute. The ceremony marked the end of an almost two year journey for the candidates as they took their oaths of office, received their OCS diplomas and their second lieutenant bars and received their first salute as new officers... MORE

Seventeen officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School receive their commissions and graduate from OCS Aug. 22, 2015, at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends and Virginia Army National Guard senior leaders. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Va. Guard officer candidates hold on to history
April 22, 2015 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Expecting a lecture filled with monotonous slides and a never-ending list of historic dates and names, the officer candidates of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School of the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, walked into Col. Thomas L. Morgan’s military history class April 19, 2015, and quickly discovered that this wasn’t going to be like any other class. The candidates of Class 57 found tables with dozens of museum quality rifles, knives and glass boxes filled with various buttons and uniform insignias. ... MORE

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