FEATURED STORIES

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct a movement to contact training lane June 17, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The 116th is the first Army National Guard brigade to test the approved task organization for a mobile brigade combat team, and it will be evaluated during a 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation.
116th IBCT tests new mobile brigade combat team organization during XCTC rotation
July 11, 2025
The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was the first Army National Guard brigade to test and evaluate an approved task organization for a mobile brigade combat team during their 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation in June 2025 at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

U.S. Army Maj. Michael Kone, assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, cleans the headstone of Maj. Thomas D. Howie, the “Major of St. Lo,” June 5, 2025, at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France. Howie was a battalion commander in the 29th ID and was killed in action during the Battle of Normandy while leading his men in an effort to capture Saint-Lô. More than 600 U.S. service members, including 30 from the 29th ID, are in Normandy to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)
29th ID Soldiers participate in Normandy D-Day commemoration
June 13, 2025
As the sun rose on the northern coast of France June 6, 2025, a group of 30 U.S. National Guard Soldiers, all assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, organized themselves into a neat formation. The tide was in and, as the Atlantic Ocean lapped against Omaha Beach, a crowd gathered around the Soldiers. The onlookers had come from all over, traveling from nearby French villages and towns, neighboring European nations and, of course, the United States. Everyone there that morning - from the most junior Soldier standing in formation, to the oldest reenactor on the beach - was there to pay tribute to the men who stormed Normandy’s beaches on D-Day.

VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD NEWS

Logo for the 29th Division Artillery.  The Virginia National Guard will celebrate the official return of the 29th Division Artillery at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Virginia War Memorial, located at 621 S. Belvidere Street in Richmond, Virginia. The ceremony will mark the return of the historic unit more than 20 years after it was deactivated.
Ceremony to mark activation of 29th Division Artillery  
Aug. 25, 2025
The Virginia National Guard will celebrate the official return of the 29th Division Artillery at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Virginia War Memorial, located at 621 S. Belvidere Street in Richmond, Virginia. 

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a maintenance exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces July 23- Aug. 12, 2025, in Finland. The exchange was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024. 
During the exchange, the 329th’s Soldiers showed the Finns one of their Humvees and their maintenance protocols, while the Finns demonstrated some of their vehicles and how they conduct maintenance operations.
329th Soldiers conduct maintenance exchange in Finland
Aug. 21, 2025
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a maintenance exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces July 23- Aug. 12, 2025, in Finland.

U.S. Army Sgt. Ivor D. Thornton. The remains of Thornton, 34, of Martinsville, Virginia, killed during World War II, will be interred Aug. 15 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home will coordinate graveside services preceding the interment.
Remains of VNG D-Day Soldier to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery
Aug. 14, 2025
The remains of U.S. Army Sgt. Ivor D. Thornton, 34, of Martinsville, Virginia, killed during World War II, will be interred Aug. 15 at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

Children of Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen enjoy a variety of military displays and activities at the 20th annual Virginia National Guard Youth Camp July 30, 2025, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Virginia National Guard personnel from the 29th Infantry Division Band; 34th Civil Support Team; Charlie Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment; and 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment provided demonstrations of their equipment and discussed their military careers with the campers. The camp ran from July 26-Aug. 1, and featured educational activities, team building exercises, a flag retirement ceremony, an afternoon at the beach and field trips to local attractions. (U.S. National Guard photo by A.J. Coyne)
VNG youth tackle adventure at 20th annual youth camp
Aug. 12, 2025
More than 60 children of Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen enjoyed a week of adventure and activities at the 20th annual Virginia National Guard Youth Camp July 26- Aug. 1, 2025, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

U.S. Army Soldiers from across the nation conduct a combined arms live-fire exercise July 21, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise was led by cadre assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute as part of a combined military occupational specialty transition course for Soldiers seeking either the 11B Infantryman or 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman MOS.

This event marked only the second time a CALFX has been successfully conducted by a combined 11B and 11C transition course across the entire National Guard. Forty students are currently enrolled in the course. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)
Combined arms LFX marks milestone for 183rd RTI infantry training
Aug. 12, 2025
At the Virginia Army National Guard’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, the infantry-focused 1st Battalion is putting the “train as you fight” mindset into action. In a first for any National Guard schoolhouse across the 54 states and territories, they ran three military occupational specialty transition courses at once, bringing together Soldiers working toward the 11B Infantryman and 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman MOS for more realistic, integrated training. The culmination of that combined effort took place July 21, 2025, with a combined arms live fire exercise at the Infantry Platoon Battle Course at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, the Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, and Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, cut a ribbon to symbolically open STARBASE Blackstone with Nikole Johnson, the program’s director, Aug. 8, 2025, in Blackstone, Virginia. Ring and Johnson also gave remarks at the event at the Virginia National Guard’s Blackstone Readiness Center. The academy is the second VNG STARBASE location after STARBASE Winchester, which opened in 2012. STARBASE is a premier Department of Defense educational program aimed at educating youth through hands on science, technology, engineering, art and design and math activities. Read more about STARBASE at https://vngpao.info/STARBASE and https://dodstarbase.org.
Ribbon cutting celebrates opening of STARBASE Blackstone
Aug. 12, 2025
The Virginia National Guard and Virginia Department of Military Affairs cut a ribbon to symbolically open STARBASE Blackstone, The VNG’s second STARBASE Academy location, Aug. 8, 2025, at the VNG’s Blackstone Readiness Center in Blackstone, Virginia. 

DMA Logo
Virginia National Guard to provide administrative, logistics support to ICE
Aug. 8, 2025
The Virginia National Guard is finalizing plans as of Aug. 8, 2025, to mobilize approximately 60 Soldiers and Airmen with a mission to provide administrative and logistics support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at locations across the state.

Brig. Gen. Christopher J. Samulski takes command of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division from Maj. Gen. Joseph A. DiNonno during a ceremony Aug. 3, 2025, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, presided over the exchange of organizational colors representing the transfer of command from DiNonno to Samulski. Command Sgt. Maj. Eric J. Saxton, the 29th senior enlisted leader, was keeper of the colors for the ceremony. The Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band provided music for the event. The Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment conducted a flyover with four Black Hawk helicopters and the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment fired an honor salute.
Samulski succeeds DiNonno as 29th Infantry Division commanding general
Aug. 7, 2025
Brig. Gen. Christopher J. Samulski took command of the 29th Infantry Division from Maj. Gen. Joseph A. DiNonno Aug. 3, 2025, on the Long Parade Field at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Virginia National Guard senior leaders along with state and local government officials cut a ribbon to formally open the expanded Roanoke Regional Readiness Center Aug. 2, 2025, in Troutville, Virginia. The completed project increases the maintenance capabilities at the complex and provides training, administrative and storage space for additional units using a combination of new construction and renovation of existing buildings. Read more at https://vngpao.info/5n7dvn46.
Ceremony officially opens VNG’s Roanoke Regional Readiness Center expansion
Aug. 6, 2025
Virginia National Guard senior leaders along with state and local government officials cut a ribbon to formally open the expanded Roanoke Regional Readiness Center Aug. 2, 2025, in Troutville, Virginia.

Rendering of the Roanoke Regional Readiness Center. The Virginia National Guard will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expansion of the Roanoke Regional Readiness Center Aug. 2, 2025, in Troutville, Virginia. The expansion increases the maintenance capabilities at the complex and provides training, administrative and storage space for additional units using a combination of new construction and renovation of existing buildings. The VNG’s 229th Chemical Company is scheduled to relocate from their current facility in Rocky Mount to the newly-expanded RRRC. Field Maintenance Shop #10 is expanding to become Combined Support Maintenance Shop - West with additional capabilities.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for VNG’s Roanoke Regional Readiness Center Complex expansion
July 30, 2025
The Virginia National Guard will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expansion of the Roanoke Regional Readiness Center Aug. 2, 2025, in Troutville, Virginia.

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ABOUT THE VA NATIONAL GUARD

The Virginia National Guard is a unique dual-status force with a federal mission to provide a combat reserve for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to fight our nation’s wars and a state mission to provide a response force that answers the call of the Governor to defend the commonwealth. The VNG traces the history and tradition of Citizen-Soldier service to the founding of Jamestown in 1607, and there has been a military presence defending Virginia ever since. For more information on the Virginia National Guard click HERE.

SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION & RESPONSE

  • Virginia National Guard Reporting sexual assault line - 434-294-4669
  • DoD Safe Helpline - 877-995-5247/ 202-470-5546 (Oconus)

RESILIENCY RESOURCES

The Virginia National Guard J9 Directorate of Resiliency brings together Soldier-care efforts under one umbrella and includes: 

  • the Integrated Primary Prevention Workforce
  • Family Programs
  • Resilience, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention
  • Religious Support
  • the State Equal Employment Manager
  • the Sexual Assault Response Workforce

QUICK LINKS

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