29th Infantry Division

Known as the Blue and Gray Division, the 29th Infantry Division is an Army National Guard operational-level headquarters located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Its origins date back to World War I and is most known for its participation in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach in World War II. The 29th ID wartime mission is to provide mission command to subordinate brigades and forces tailored for an assigned mission. It is one of eight divisions in the Army National Guard.

The Virginia Army National Guard's 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment and the 29th Infantry Division Band are aligned under the 29th.

The 29th Infantry Division exercises training and readiness oversight over the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Florida and Alabama, the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Kentucky and Virginia, the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team from North Carolina and West Virginia, the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade from Maryland and Virginia, the 226th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from Alabama, the 113th Sustainment Brigade from North Carolina and the 142nd Fires Brigade from Arkansas.

The Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division Headquarters returned to the United States in March 2022 after a 9-month deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility as the headquarters of Task Force Spartan, which exercises command and control of Operation Spartan Shield. Task Force Spartan is a unique, multi-component, total Army organization, made up of active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve support units and is led by a National Guard division headquarters on a rotational basis. 

In its role as Task Force Spartan, the 29th ID commanded two brigades and four battalion-level task forces. Units supporting Operation Spartan Shield provide capabilities such as aviation, logistics, force protection and information management. They also facilitated theater security cooperation activities such as key leader engagements, joint exercises, conferences, symposia, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response planning. Read more about the 29th’s mobilization at https://go.usa.gov/xzw3F. 

Visit the 29th Infantry Division on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/29thID/


2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
 
The Virginia National Guard's Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, mobilized as Task Force Pegasus, officially ended its mission in Kosovo during a transfer of authority ceremony Oct. 11, 2022, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

During Task Force Pegasus’ rotation, over 1,700 flight hours and 275 aerial missions were completed, five multinational multi-ship flights, and 14 MedEvac missions, two of which required the use of a hoist and countless hours of training. Read more about Task Force Pegasus at https://ngpa.us/22186. 

More 2-224th news: https://ngpa.us/23176 

29th Division Band

The 29th ID Band received the Superior Unit Award for training excellence during Training Year 2019. 

More 29th Division Band news: https://ngpa.us/23177

29th ID News

The Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division welcomes 14 Soldiers to the noncommissioned officer corps during an NCO Induaction Ceremony held June 1, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The ceremony honored those Soldiers promoted to the rank of sergeant over the last year.
NCO induction ceremony held for 14 new aviation battalion NCOs
June 5, 2024
The Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division welcomed 14 Soldiers to the noncommissioned officer corps during an NCO Induaction Ceremony held June 1, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia.
Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and his wife Rev. Leigh Anne Ring place the Virginia National Guard memorial wreath to honor fallen VNG Soldiers and Airmen at the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony May 27, 2024, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. Read the AG’s Memorial Day message at https://ngpa.us/29777, and read about the VNG Soldiers lost to hostile enemy action since Sept. 11, 2001, at https://ngpa.us/29778.
Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony honors the fallen
June 3, 2024
Service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country were honored at the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony May 27, 2024, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia.
Spc. Carter Cooper, an infantryman in the Virginia Army National Guard, rucks 18.6 miles during the 2024 National Guard Bureau Region II Best Warrior Competition on May 8, 2024, in Hancock, Maryland. The 2024 Region II Best Warrior Competition, which is hosted by Maryland Army National Guard, features soldiers and non-commissioned officers from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. The intense four-day competition tests competitors on a wide range of tactical and technical skills relevant in today's combat environment. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Tom Lamb)
Top VNG Soldier’s journey from Scout Platoon to regional recognition
May 31, 2024
Sgt. Carter Cooper, an infantryman assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was named the region’s top Soldier May 10, 2024, after representing the Virginia Army National Guard at the Region II Best Warrior Competition in Maryland. The competition ran for four days and included Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. 
Sgt. Carter Cooper, a Virginia Army National Guard infantry Soldier assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, took top honors in the Soldier category of the National Guard Bureau Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 6-10, 2024, at multiple locations in Maryland. Carter was a specialist when he competed and was just recently promoted to sergeant. Staff Sgt. Bradner, a combat engineer assigned to the VaARNG’s Petersburg-based 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, placed fourth overall in the NCO category with just nine points separating him from the top spot.
116th’s Cooper takes top Soldier honors at Region Il BWC
May 14, 2024
Sgt. Carter Cooper, a Virginia Army National Guard infantry Soldier assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, took top honors in the Soldier category of the National Guard Bureau Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 6-10, 2024.
Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia National Guard Soldiers participated in a Victory in Europe celebration held May 8, 2024, in Hranice, Czech Republic. The units mobilized to the Czech Republic under the command of the Virginia National Guard’s Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. They are taking part in DEFENDER 24, the largest U.S. Army exercise in Europe involving more than 17,000 U.S. and 23,000 multinational service members from more than 20 Allied and partner nations.(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jeff Clements)
Task Force St. Lo Soldiers celebrate Victory in Europe Day alongside Czech partners
May 11, 2024
Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia National Guard Soldiers participated in a Victory in Europe celebration held May 8, 2024, in Hranice, Czech Republic.

The Shield Newsletter

29th ID Organization

Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division
https://www.facebook.com/29thID/
https://twitter.com/29thID

Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division
https://www.facebook.com/HHBN29ID

  • Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters and Support Company
  • Fort Belvoir-based Operations Company
  • Cheltenham, Md.- based Signal Company (Maryland National Guard)
  • Laurel, Md.- Intelligence and Sustainment Company (Maryland National Guard)
  • Troutville-based 29th Division Band

Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
 https://www.facebook.com/2ndBattalion224thAviation/

  • Sandston-based Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Chesterfield-based Detachment 2, Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment
  • Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Detachment 2, Bravo Company, 248th Aviation Support Battalion
  • Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Company C, 2-245th Aviation Regiment 
Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team