Virginia National Guard

Richmond’s 19th century African-American armory part of VNG history
February 20, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Just a few miles from the Virginia National Guard Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, stands an imposing brick structure resembling a medieval fortress in the historic African-American neighborhood of Jackson Ward, just north of downtown Richmond. ... MORE

SMP cadets hone leadership, Soldier skills with help from 183rd RTI
February 20, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Simultaneous Membership Program allows ROTC cadets participating in their university’s ROTC program to also serve in the Virginia National Guard. During the past several months, those cadets enrolled in the SMP have been training with cadre assigned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The training is part of a pilot program designed to increase their leadership skills and prepare them for significant training events later this year... MORE

Virginia’s Newest Ranger recognized at Washington Capitals Game
February 20, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Just a few days before graduating from his initial training to become an infantryman, Virginia National Guard Soldier Pfc. Gavin Asbury was offered the chance to go to Ranger School. He’d tried to show initiative during his training, had scored high on his physical fitness assessments and exceeded the standard during his training at Fort Benning. His drill sergeants noticed his success and recommended he, along with a handful of his peers, take their training to the next level and try for a spot at Ranger School... MORE

Whitt selected as new 329th RSG command sergeant major
February 20, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. – Command Sgt. Maj. Dempsey O. Whitt was selected to serve as the new 329th Regional Support Group command sergeant major, according to an announcement made Jan. 1, 2019, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. Whitt succeeds Command Sgt. Maj. E. Tim Miller, who retired Dec. 7, 2018, after 30 years of service to the Virginia National Guard... MORE

Efforts underway to digitize VNG’s WWI personnel records
February 19, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard has a wealth of historic personnel records of Virginians who were among the first troops called to serve in World War I, and efforts are currently underway to digitize those records for online access... MORE

Ryan promoted, takes command of Virginia Air National Guard
February 16, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Col. Jeffrey L. Ryan was officially promoted to brigadier general Feb. 15, 2019, during a ceremony at the Virginia National Guard Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, and took command of the Virginia Air National Guard. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, announced Feb. 6, 2019, that Ryan would succeed Brig. Gen. Marshall Kjelvik as the VNG Air Component Commander effective Feb. 5. Ryan most recently served as the vice commander of the 192nd Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton... MORE

Family bonds help military couple separated by deployment
February 14, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — This Valentine’s Day, Capt. Rachel Billmyer is deployed overseas with the 529th Combat Support Sustainment Battalion. Her fiancé, Capt. Joshua Morgan, is here in Virginia, working full-time as a program manager for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs while commanding the Virginia National Guard’s 237th Engineer Company. Both Billmyer and Morgan are familiar with the deployment process. “I’m the third person in my family to deploy since 2014,” Billmyer said. Both her parents serve in the National Guard and Morgan’s father retired a few years ago and all three have deployed within the past several years... MORE

VNG Youth Program searching for volunteers
February 14, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard Youth Program is searching for engaging, dedicated individuals who are passionate about working with National Guard Youth to volunteer at their events and camps throughout the next year. The Youth Program relies on a core network of trained, background-checked volunteers. These volunteers provide program assistance with deployment events, photography and social media support, and assist with administrative tasks... MORE

Virginia welcomes first female infantry officer
February 6, 2019 — FORT BENNING, Ga. — On Feb. 1, 2019, 1st Lt. Candice Bowen graduated from the U.S. Army’s Infantry Basic Officer Course and became the Virginia National Guard’s first female infantry officer. She joins a small group of other women who have successfully completed training at Fort Benning to become infantry Soldiers and officers since the career field was opened to women in 2016... MORE

Mentors provide valuable guidance to ChalleNGe cadets
February 4, 2019 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Twice a year the Virginia National Guard Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduates cadets from the five and a half month long residential portion of the program. But when the cadets take off their uniforms and return home, they don’t stop being cadets. Instead they transition to the 12-month, non-residential portion of the program. And just because they’re no longer watched by cadre in uniforms doesn’t mean the ChalleNGe program doesn’t have an eye on them... MORE

Miller retires after 30 years of service
February 4, 2019 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — “Serve my country!” stated Pvt. E. Tim Miller when asked by a senior officer in 1988 why he enlisted in the Army National Guard. Although such a phrase sounds cliché today, 30 years later, now-Command Sgt. Maj. E. Tim Miller emphasized how Soldiers need to examine why they serve, and ultimately, it should be to simply, “serve our country.”... MORE

Saber Soldiers provide crew evaluations for active-duty cavalry squadron
January 29, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Virginia National Guard cavalry Soldiers provided vehicle crew evaluators for their active-duty counterparts from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during gunnery training Jan. 15 – 26, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Soldiers assigned to the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provided the evaluation support for the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division as they conducted crew-served gunnery ranges with multiple vehicles and weapons systems... MORE

Profita named new VNG command senior enlisted leader
January 25, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Command Chief Master Sgt. James J. Profita will succeed Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Ferris as the Virginia National Guard’s command senior enlisted leader, according to an announcement made Jan. 24, 2019, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. Ferris now serves as the command sergeant major for the 29th Infantry Division, and Profita serves as senior enlisted leader for strategy and policy and senior enlisted Guard advisor at Headquarters U.S. European Command. His assignment as CSEL is effective April 1, 2019... MORE

VDF takes part in statewide amateur radio exercise
January 25, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Members of the Virginia Defense Force took part in the “Perfect Storm” statewide amateur radio emergency communications exercise Jan. 19, 2019, in Richmond and Lynchburg, Virginia, and the VDF was among the nearly 80 amateur operators and agencies registered for this annual event. In Richmond, VDF personnel trained on amateur radio systems and built partnerships with amateur radio operators who support the Virginia Department of Emergency Management at the Virginia Emergency Operations Center. In Lynchburg, VDF members used the equipment in their mobile communications platform trailer to make contact the operators across the state... MORE

Puckett named VNG command chief warrant officer
January 24, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joseph W. Puckett has been named as the Virginia National Guard’s new Command Chief Warrant Officer, according to an announcement made Jan. 24, 2019, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. The assignment is effective April 1, 2019, and follows the pending retirement of current Chief Warrant Officer 4 Donald Unmussig. “Chief Warrant Officer 4 Unmussig has provided outstanding leadership to the Warrant Officer Corps, and sage counsel to me on all related matters,” Williams wrote in the announcement. “His contributions to the Army logistics community and National Guard as a whole have been remarkable. We truly appreciate his dedication and sacrifice to our commonwealth and nation, and wish him the very best in retirement.”... MORE

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