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 Mobile 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 Mobile 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

Virginia National Guard logo
Senior enlisted leader assignments announced for 116th MBCT, 183rd RTI and 192nd Wing
Dec. 16, 2025
New senior noncommissioned officers are taking responsibility in the Virginia Army and Air National Guards, according to announcements made by Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia.
Six Virginia Army National Guard infantrymen earned the Expert Infantryman Badge after days of rigorous testing that culminated in an Oct. 31, 2025, ceremony at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, conducted the testing at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. Four Soldiers — Staff Sgt. Joshua Patton, Staff Sgt. Ivo Garner, Sgt. Carter Cooper and Spc. Javan Cooper — serve with the Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team, while two — Sgt. 1st Class Jon Valdizan and Staff Sgt. Chad Owen — are assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute.
Six Virginia National Guard Soldiers earn EIB
Dec. 16, 2025
Six Virginia Army National Guard infantrymen earned the Expert Infantryman Badge after days of rigorous testing that culminated in an Oct. 31, 2025, ceremony at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, conducted the testing at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.
The Virginia National Guard’s Danville-based 429th Light Support Battalion conducts a casing of the colors ceremony for Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Companies Nov. 14, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia, marking the conclusion of their storied service under the BSB structure. The 429th Brigade Support Battalion was officially designated as the 429th Light Support Battalion Oct. 16, 2025, the new company designations are part of the ongoing U.S. Army transformation initiative. The battalion’s Headquarters and Alpha Company merged into the Headquarters and Distribution Company, Bravo Company became the new Alpha Company and Charlie Company was designated as Bravo Company.
429th line companies get refresh during transformation to LSB 
Dec. 1, 2025
The Virginia National Guard’s Danville-based 429th Light Support Battalion formally conducted a casing of the colors ceremony for Alpha, Bravo and Charlie Companies Nov. 14, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia, marking the conclusion of their storied service under the BSB structure. 
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers honor John Paul Macri, 9, with a ceremonial promotion to the rank of staff sergeant during a visit to the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. Earlier this year, Macri began to experience balance issues and double vision. Doctors discovered a rabidly growing brain tumor primarily affecting young children. During his visit to the AASF, Macri and his family were able to climb aboard both a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and a UH-72 Lakota helicopter. Additionally, a ceremony held in Macri’s honor served as an honorary promotion for the boy, where he also received his Army Aviator Badge. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)
VNG recruiters, aviation battalion honor area 9-year-old with ceremonial promotion
Nov. 26, 2025
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers honored John Paul Macri, 9, with a ceremonial promotion to the rank of staff sergeant during a visit to the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. Earlier this year, Macri began to experience balance issues and double vision. In March, doctors discovered a rapidly growing brain tumor and diagnosed him with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers from units across the Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team conduct Infantry Squad Vehicle Operator New Equipment Training on the Staff Sgt. Jesse Ault Wheeled Vehicle Obstacle Course Nov. 14, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The 116th is the first National Guard infantry brigade to convert to the mobile brigade combat team, and the ISV fielding is a critical step towards increasing the brigade’s mobility on the battlefield. Read more about the 116th’s conversion to an MBCT at https://vngpao.info/4553f7dm.
116th MBCT Soldiers field Infantry Squad Vehicle
Nov. 24, 2025
Virginia National Guard Soldiers from units across the Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team conducted Infantry Squad Vehicle Operator New Equipment Training Nov. 10-14, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.

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 Mobile Brigade Combat Team