NORFOLK, Va. –
Virginia National Guard senior leaders recognized the top company-level units in the Virginia Army National Guard for high levels of readiness at the second annual Virginia Military Ball April 28, 2018, in Norfolk, Virginia. Outstanding Soldiers and Airmen were also recognized at an awards reception before the ball, as were Army units earning the Excellence in Training award.
The Lexington-based Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment received the Eisenhower Trophy as the top company-level unit in the Virginia Army National Guard, and Bravo Company and the Christiansburg-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were both presented the Adjutant General’s Cup because they identical scores in the evaluation criteria. Bravo Company also received the state-level National Guard Pershing Trophy and Certificate of Victory for marksmanship.
The Virginia Army National Guard Soldier and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year and the Virginia Air National Guard Outstanding Airman of the Year, Outstanding Non-commissioned Officer of the Year, Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year and First Sergeant of the Year received plaques at the awards reception before the ball.
Eight Virginia Army National Guard units received the Excellence in Training award.
The Virginia Military Ball was sponsored by the Virginia National Guard Association and the Virginia Army and Air National Guard Enlisted Association. Congressman Scott Taylor was the guest speaker at the ball, and the Virginia National Guard World War I color guard opened and closed the event.
After four days of intense competition at the Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition, Sgt. Jake Moyer was named the Virginia National Guard’s Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, while Spc. Miguel Bustillo was named the Soldier of the Year Feb. 25, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Moyer is assigned to 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, while Bustillo is assigned to the 134th Cyber Security Company, 91st Cyber Brigade.
The 192nd Fighter Wing honored its top performers during an annual holiday awards banquet, Dec. 9, 2017, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. State-level award recipients were: Senior Airman Devin Ford, 192nd Maintenance Group, as Outstanding Airman of the Year; Tech. Sgt. Ryan Folks, 192nd Operations Group, as Outstanding Non-commissioned Officer of the Year; Master Sgt. Michelle Riter, 192nd Operations Group, as Outstanding Senior NCO of the Year; and Master Sgt. Lacey Moore, 192nd Mission Support Group, as First Sergeant of the Year.
The Eisenhower Trophy recognizes the most outstanding company-level unit in the Virginia Army National Guard during the training year and is presented to the unit that ranks the highest in areas of assigned personnel strength, percentage of personnel qualified in their duty position, attendance at monthly drill weekends and annual training, individual weapons qualification scores and physical fitness test scores.
The Adjutant General’s Cup is awarded to the unit achieving the highest overall average in the areas of overall assigned personnel strength, attendance at monthly drill weekends and attendance at annual training.
The state-level Pershing Award is presented for the highest marksmanship scores in the Virginia Army National Guard in annual qualification with assigned individual weapons.
To earn the Excellence in Training Award, a unit must have 90 percent of all personnel qualified in their military occupational specialty, have 95 percent of all personnel present for annual training or receive constructive credit for AT attendance, maintain monthly drill attendance of 90 percent, have 95 percent of all assigned personnel qualify with their assigned weapon, have 95 percent of all crews qualify on their assigned crew-served weapons, have 90 percent of all assigned personnel pass the Army Physical Fitness Test and pass the Organizational Inspection Program in all training categories. Excellence in Training Awards were presented to the following units:
– Lynchburg-based Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Bedford-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Lexington-based Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Christiansburg-based Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Pulaski-based Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Charlottesville-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Norfolk-based Company G, 429th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
– Fort Pickett-Base 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute