Virginia National Guard senior enlisted leadership traveled to Finland Aug. 19- 23, 2024, to collaborate with members of the Finnish Defence Forces on a plan for joint enlisted training and exercise and development for 2025 to 2027.

Virginia National Guard Soldiers paid tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of the U.S. and Allied Forces who participated in the June 1944 invasion of Normandy and commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day at multiple events on and around June 6, 2024, in France, Virginia and Louisiana.

The Virginia National Guard is gearing up Oct. 9, 2024, to support Florida as they prepare for the expected impacts of Hurricane Milton while it winds down Hurricane Helene support in Virginia.

A Virginia National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crew and members of the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team deployed from Sandston, Virginia, to Florida Oct. 8, 2024, to provide support for expected impacts of Hurricane Milton.

For three years running, the Virginia National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility has ranked first in the nation for equipment readiness. Located in Sandston, Virginia, next to Richmond International Airport, with an auxiliary location at the Chesterfield Executive Airport, the AASF is home to the VNG’s fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters. A dedicated team of around 50 full-time technicians maintains the fleet with just 25 percent of the personnel of a similarly-sized active duty organization, all while also ranking in the top ten nationally for operational tempo.

After years of intense training and planning, Virginia National Guard aviation crews and Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team members conducted real-world rescue hoists of stranded citizens Sept. 27 and 28, 2024, in and around Abingdon, Virginia.

After finding a water-logged family photo album during Hurricane Helene response operations, Spc. Gabrielle Edens worked to find the owners and return their memories.

Command Sgt. Maj. Irving N. Reed, the Virginia Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major, announced the selection of new senior enlisted leaders for three VAARNG commands Oct. 4, 2024.

The Virginia National Guard continues to support response efforts after Hurricane Helene with troops staged Oct. 4, 2024, in Abingdon, Virginia. Approximately 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks remain on duty with the ability to conduct transportation, debris reduction and commodity distribution missions.

The Virginia National Guard staged approximately 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high mobility transportation Sept. 26, 2024, in the Abingdon area in order to support the response to potential impacts of Hurricane Helene. The VNG also staged two Black Hawk helicopters with transport, damage assessment and rescue hoist capabilities in the Roanoke area.

The Virginia National Guard celebrated the commissioning of 13 new lieutenants at a ceremony held Sept. 15, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The event marked the end of Officer Candidate School for the candidates enrolled in Class 66, 67A and 67B.

Staff Sgt. Diana Hudson spent her earliest years in a rural Mexican border town. Her family’s home, built from wooden pallets, had a dirt floor and no plumbing. Since then, she’s emigrated to the United States, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, started a family, earned an undergraduate degree and, more recently, became one of the top recruiters in the Virginia Army National Guard.