116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

The 116th IBCT is authorized approximately 3,500 Soldiers and is the largest major command in the Virginia National Guard. The 116th has units throughout Virginia from Winchester to Pulaski along I-81, from Staunton to Virginia Beach along I-64, from Danville to Lynchburg to Warrenton along Route 29 as well as Fredericksburg, Manassas and Leesburg. An infantry battalion based in Barbourville, Kentucky, is also aligned with the 116th for training and readiness oversight. A brigade combat team is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army and carries with it support units necessary to sustain its operations away from its parent division. The 116th consists of three infantry battalions, a cavalry squadron, a field artillery battalion, a brigade support battalion and brigade engineer battalion.

The Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team returned from overseas in 2022, officially ending their mission as Task Force Saint Lo and the mission command headquarters for NATO Kosovo Force Regional Command-East with a transfer of authority ceremony Nov. 2, 2022, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. NATO KFOR troops conduct peace support operations contributing to a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo while healthy political dialogue continues between Kosovo and Serbia.

As the multi-national brigade assigned to Regional Command - East, Task Force Saint Lo commanded more than 1,000 personnel from 10 different nations to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement throughout Kosovo. The leaders and staff planned and executed three separate named operations to decrease tensions related to Serbian elections, License Plate Reciprocity, and securing energy infrastructure.

The brigade was also responsible for working with the Serbian armed forces to ensure all parties were in compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 and the Military Technical Agreement. The focus of RC-East was to provide the opportunity to resolve tensions in the Balkans through political dialogue focused on normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

They planned and participated in multinational training events with the German contingencies to earn the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge and Schützenschnur and with the Danish contingencies to participate in the DANCON march. They also hosted the U.S. marksmanship badges for two NATO nations. Senior leaders took part in more than 70 engagements with the Kosovo Police, local mayors and Serbian armed forces. The Civil-Military Cooperation section executed 10 projects valued at more than 70,000 euros.

Read more about Task Force Saint Lo at https://ngpa.us/22642

Approximately 1,000 Virginia and Kentucky National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, ended their mobilization as Task Force Red Dragon during a transfer of authority ceremony Sept. 19, 2022, to officially end their security mission for Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. They began serving on federal active duty Nov. 27, 2021. 

Task Force Red Dragon provided security forces throughout the Horn of Africa, maintaining a presence in Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya. This defensive mission included 24/7 perimeter security of military installations, to include manning guard towers and vehicle entry control points to constantly safeguard U.S forces, partner forces, and civilian contractors. The task force also provided land-side security for multiple U.S. Navy port calls, enabling refueling and refit operations for U.S. ships operating in the vicinity of the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb strait. Throughout this base defense mission, the task force effectively integrated their enabler units into the defensive plan by augmenting medical personnel at each site, establishing indirect fire capabilities, and continuously worked to improve their defensive posture.

Additionally, TFRD provided the ground component of the East Africa Response Force, tasked with execution of a broad range of military operations, to include crisis response and security augmentation to Department of State or other U.S. facilities, support for military-assisted departure or non-combatant evacuation operations and other missions as directed. The EARF conducted monthly emergency deployment readiness exercises to ensure readiness and preparation in responding quickly to crises within East Africa. Over the course of the deployment, the EARF supported Department of State missions in Nairobi, Kenya; Mogadishu, Somalia; and Durban, South Africa. The EARF also conducted two emergency deployment readiness exercises to rehearse the reinforcement of contingency support locations in East Africa. 

Read more about TF Red Dragon’s mobilization at https://ngpa.us/21523.

Virginia and Ohio National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted a transfer of authority ceremony Nov. 12, 2022, at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, to officially end their short-range air defense mission for Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.

While deployed, approximately 330 Soldiers were tasked to provide short-range air defense against unmanned aerial systems and rocket artillery and motor attacks, protecting more than 10,000 coalition forces and critical assets throughout the Central Command area of operations in the Middle East using the Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar System, or C-RAM.

Throughout the deployment, the 1-111th successfully engaged two UAS systems and multiple rockets with kinetic defeat systems and more than two dozen UAS systems with non-kinetic systems. They were also responsible for upgrading and expanding counter UAS operational capabilities. 

Read more about the 1-111th’s mobilization at https://ngpa.us/22853

Visit the 116th IBCT on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/116thIBCT/

 

116th IBCT News

Three Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team competed in HÄYHÄ 2023, a Finnish Sniper Championship, held Aug. 25-27, near Taipalsaari, Finland. Staff Sgt. Matthew Dawson, Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson and Sgt. Gavin Asbury made up one of 26 teams to compete in the competition, which focused on the basic skills of a sniper. The event was organized by the Finnish Sniper Guild in cooperation with the Finnish Reserve Sports Association and the National Defense Training Association.
Red Dragon shooters compete in Finnish sniper championship
Sept. 5, 2023
Three Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team competed in HÄYHÄ 2023, a Finnish Sniper Championship, held Aug. 25-27, near Taipalsaari, Finland. 

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conduct a basic fitness test, M9 pistol marksmanship assessment and a ruck march as they compete for the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge Aug. 19 and 20, 2023, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. More than 100 Soldiers were tested on their speed and strength before firing the M9 pistol at various targets and distances. The competitors also conducted a timed road march. The Soldiers are trying to earn their bronze, silver or gold GAFPB, and will also be tested on other challenges including marksmanship, fitness and ruck marching. The badge is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Endurance Soldiers earn German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge
Sept. 1, 2023
More than 70 Soldiers assigned to the Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team earned the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge after three days of competition during their drill weekend Aug. 18-20, 2023, at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. 

The Virginia Army National celebrates the opening of their new Roanoke-area recruiting storefront with a ribbon cutting and open house Aug. 12, 2023, in Roanoke, Virginia. Staff Sgt. James Maish and Sgt. Dylan Osborne cut the ribbon for the new location joined by Brig. Gen. K. Weedon Gallagher, VNG Assistant Adjutant General - Army, Maj. Kim Wynn, commander of the VaARNG Recruiting and Retention Battalion, Martha Hooker, chair of the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors, and Master Sgt. Jessica Dickenson, recruiting supervisor for the Roanoke area. The 1,600 square foot office will house VaARNG recruiters, as well as additional staff from the RRB, and serve as a recruiting hub for the entire greater Roanoke area.
Celebration marks new recruiting storefront in Roanoke
Aug. 15, 2023
The Virginia Army National celebrated the opening of their new Roanoke-area recruiting storefront with a ribbon cutting and open house Aug. 12, 2023, in Roanoke, Virginia.

After five days of intense testing, 13 U.S. Army Soldiers and one Finnish Defense Forces soldier receive their Expert Infantryman Badge June 15, 2023, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The event was run by the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and tested Soldiers on their proficiency and skill as infantrymen over the course of five days. Testing including a physical fitness assessment, both day and night land navigation, three days of testing on more than 30 medical, weapons and patrol tasks, and finally, a 12-mile ruck march that had to be completed within a strict three hour time limit. Testing for the EIB started June 11, 2023, with 121 candidates, including Soldiers from the Virginia and Kentucky Army National Guard; the Fort Meyer-based 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard; the Fort Liberty, North Carolina-based 112th Signal Battalion; and Finland. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)
Expert Infantryman Badge awarded to 14 Soldiers
July 11, 2023
What 121 Soldiers started, just 14 completed. After five days of testing - plus days, weeks and even years of preparation - 14 Soldiers, including four from the Virginia National Guard, earned their Expert Infantryman Badges June 15, 2023. During a ceremony held on the same Fort Barfoot field where their testing began,  the U.S. Army’s newest EIB-holders were pinned with the infantry blue rectangular badge bearing a 1795 Springfield Arsenal Musket signifying that they had successfully completed a quest conquered by only around 15% of those who attempt it. 

Approximately 110 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen depart for Texas July 8, 2023, where they will serve as Task Force Cardinal and assist the Texas Military Department and Operation Lone Star border security operation. Brig. Gen. Todd Hubbard, the VNG Director of the Joint Staff, and Col. David Lands, the Director of Staff for the Virginia Air National Guard, shook hands with the departing Soldiers and Airmen and thanked them for their service. Maj. Sidney Leslie and 1st. Sgt. Martin Dingus, the TF Cardinal command team, and other VNG leaders also received and thanked the Soldiers as they boarded the plane. The task force assembled at Fort Barfoot July 5 for training and administrative tasks prior to their departure, and members of the Virginia Defense Force and state civilian employees from the Virginia Department of Military Affairs assisted with their preparations. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, retired Maj. Gen. Craig Crenshaw, the Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, and Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, visited troops July 6 to thank them for their service and sacrifice.
Va. National Guard troops depart for Texas border support mission
July 8, 2023
Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen departed for Texas July 8, 2023, where they will assist the Texas Military Department and Operation Lone Star border security operation.

116th IBCT Organization

Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
https://www.facebook.com/116thIBCT/
@116thIBCT

Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team https://www.facebook.com/1stBattalion116thInfantry/

  • Bedford-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
    • Farmville-based Detachment 1, Alpha Company
  • Lexington-based Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
  • Christiansburg-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
  • Pulaski-based Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
    • Martinsville-base Detachment 1, Delta Company
  • Lynchburg-based Golf Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion

Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team https://www.facebook.com/2nd183rdCav/

  • Virginia Beach-based Alpha Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment
  • Suffolk-based Bravo Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment
  • Virginia Beach-based Charlie Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment
  • Virginia Beach-based Delta Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion
    • Portsmouth-based Detachment 1, Delta Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion

Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team https://www.facebook.com/3rdBattalion116thInfantry/

  • Charlottesville-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
    • Harrisonburg-based Detachment 1, Alpha Company
  • Woodstock-based Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
  • Leesburg-based Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
  • Warrenton-based Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
  • Winchester-based Hotel Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion

Norfok-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team https://www.facebook.com/1stBattalion111thFieldArtillery/

  • Hanover-based Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment
  • Norfolk-based Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment
  • Hampton-based Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment
  • Norfolk-based Foxtrot Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion

Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

https://www.facebook.com/229thBEB/

  • Fredericksburg-based Alpha Company, 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion
  • Bowling Green-based Bravo Company, 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion
  • Fredericksburg-based Charlie Company, 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion
  • Manassas-based Delta Company, 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion
  • Fredericksburg-based Echo Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion

Danville-based 429th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

https://www.facebook.com/429thBSB/

  • South Boston-based Alpha Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion
  • Richmond-based Bravo Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion
  • Charlottesville-based Charlie Company, 429th Brigade Support Battalion