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’s 192nd Wing is one of 14 Air National Guard units to receive the 2022 Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award, according to an announcement made April 4, 2024, by Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, Director of the Air National Guard at National Guard Bureau.

More than 50 civilian employers joined their employees for an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift, hosted by the Virginia National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment June 15, 2024, at their Army Aviation Support Facility near Richmond International Airport in Sandston, Virginia. The event aimed to thank employers for their support while providing them a first-hand look at what their employees experience when in a military duty status. The experience included orientation flights on board the battalion’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, as well as static displays that included weapon systems and various pieces of commonly used equipment. 

As National Guard and Reserve Soldiers and Airmen joined civilian cyber professionals and international partners for Cyber Shield 24 from May 31 to June 15, 2024, the Virginia National Guard’s 91st Cyber Brigade conducted CERTEX 24 to validate multiple units for future Title 10 active-duty federal mobilizations. Both exercises were hosted at the VNG’s State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for the first time.

More than 200 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen conducted multiple mass casualty response drills during a collective training exercise May 20 - 24, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. 

Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduated Class 60 March 2, 2024, but instead of rolling right into Class 61, the program took a strategic pause, making cultural, physical and organizational changes. Now, after more than three months of training, seminars, brainstorming and implementing those changes, the staff is preparing for the 135 cadets of Class 61 to hit the ground July 16, 2024, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach.

The Blackstone Army Airfield, co-located with Allan C. Perkinson Airport, has undergone significant enhancements over the past four years. Managed by Walter Tisdale, the airfield now hosts new facilities and improved infrastructure to support military and civilian operations. 

Fort Barfoot garrison leadership joined Soldiers, Marines and civilians in a joint environmental cleanup June 12, 2024, at Fort Gregg-Adams, Virginia. 

Polish, British and United States military forces came together for a wet gap crossing under the command and control of the Virginia National Guard’s Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division May 8, 2024, at the Drawsko Combat Training Center in Poland as part of U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s DEFENDER 24 exercise. The exercise, tied closely to NATO’s Steadfast Defender exercise, brought together nearly 40,000 service members from over 20 partner nations to train, test and validate the alliance’s ability to field and command a combat credible force in the European theater.

Members of Fort Barfoot Fire and Emergency Services are now eligible for a new retirement benefit after the department was added to the Virginia Law Officers’ Retirement System, or VaLORS. 

The Virginia National Guard’s Marksmanship Training Unit hosted the Adjutant General’s Marksmanship Match, held May 17-19, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The annual competition brought together approximately 50 shooters from across the state. Over the course of the match, shooters tested their skills on both rifle and pistol from a variety of distances and firing positions.

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.