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

Command Sgt. Maj. Eric J. Saxton, the incoming 29th Infantry Division CSM, speaks to a crowd of Soldiers, family members and Finnish Defense Force partners May 3, 2025, as part of a change of responsibility ceremony at the Fort Barfoot post stadium, Fort Barfoot, Va. Saxton said that he understands the weight of responsibility entrusted in him and is committed to honoring the proud history of the 29th. (Photo by Master Sgt. Chad Menegay, 29th Infantry Division)
Blue and Gray division welcomes new CSM
May 7, 2025
The 29th Infantry Division welcomed Command Sgt. Maj. Eric J. Saxton as its new senior enlisted leader in a change of responsibility ceremony May 3, 2025, at the Fort Barfoot, Virginia, post stadium. Maj. Gen. Joseph A. DiNonno, the 29th Infantry Division commander, presided over the ceremony and passed the organization’s colors from outgoing Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy M. Hawley to Saxton.
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conduct a mountain warfare exchange with members of the Tajik military April 21 - 25, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The engagement was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Tajikistan have been formal partners since 2003. The exchange focused on developing and refining mountain warfare fundamentals, while fostering collaboration between U.S. and Tajik forces. A total of 25 Tajik participants, representing four different organizations of the nation’s defense forces, took part in the training. Ranks ranged from junior officers to senior lieutenant colonels.
VNG Soldiers conduct mountain warfare exchange in Tajikistan
May 5, 2025
Three Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conducted a mountain warfare exchange with members of the Tajik military April 21 - 25, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The engagement was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Tajikistan have been formal partners since 2003.
Virginia National Guard and Chesterfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services senior leaders present the VNG Bronze Star to members of the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team for their work performing rescues in 2024 during Hurricane Helene April 22, 2025, in Chesterfield, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Todd Hubbard, the VNG Director of the Joint Staff, Col. Craig Lewis, the VNG State Aviation Officer and Chief Edward L. Senter Jr., Fire Chief for Chesterfield Fire and EMS, all gave remarks thanking the VNG aviators and Chesterfield rescue technicians for their service supporting emergency operations in Southwest Virginia During Hurricane Helene. During those operations, HART made their first real-world rescue hoist after years of rigorous, realistic training. Read more about HART at https://vngpao.info/VaHART.
Va. HART receives Virginia Bronze Star for efforts during Hurricane Helene
April 30, 2025
Virginia National Guard and Chesterfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services senior leaders presented the VNG Bronze Star to members of the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team for their work performing rescues in 2024 during Hurricane Helene April 22, 2025, in Chesterfield, Virginia. 
Four Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conduct a close-quarters battle exchange with members of the Tajik military April 7 - 11, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The engagement was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, which has connected Virginia and Tajikistan since 2003.
VNG Soldiers conduct close-quarters battle exchange in Tajikistan
April 22, 2025
Four Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conducted a close-quarters battle exchange with members of the Tajik military April 7 - 11, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, 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, along with other state government officials and Virginia National Guard and community leaders, ceremonially break ground on a new Army Aviation Support Facility March 31, 2025, in Sandston, Virginia. The first stage of a five-stage project will build half of the approximately 11,000-square-foot helicopter parking space for the VNG’s UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters, as well as a hangar and operations building. The current VNG AASF is adjacent to the Richmond International Airport, and the lease expires in 2032. The Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band provided ceremonial music for the event, and volunteers with the Virginia Defense Force provided traffic control support.
VNG breaks ground on new Army Aviation Support Facility 
April 7, 2025
The Virginia National Guard ceremonially broke ground on the first in a series of projects to construct a new Army National Guard Aviation Support Facility March 31, 2025, in Sandston, 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 Infantry Brigade Combat Team