Virginia National Guard

Fort Pickett welcomes new garrison commander
February 4, 2018 — Lt. Col. Paul Gravely took command of Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett from Col. Preston Scott, Jr., Feb. 3, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter Mercer, Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of organizational colors that represented the change of garrison command from Scott to Gravely... MORE

Gravely named as new Fort Pickett garrison commander, Scott to serve as 29th ID chief of staff
December 13, 2017 — Lt. Col. Paul Gravely will succeed Col. Preston Scott, Jr., as the Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett garrison commander, according to an announcement made Dec. 13, 2017, by Maj. Gen. Timothy Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. Gravely currently serves as the Fort Pickett director of plans, training and security, and Jan. 7, 2018, is his effective date for command. Scott will succeed Col. Kerry Dull as the chief of staff of the 29th Infantry Division... MORE

Fort Pickett firefighters work to earn aircraft rescue certification
October 17, 2017 — Members of the Fort Pickett Fire & Rescue Department along with firefighters from neighboring localities conducted aircraft rescue training Oct. 13, 2017, at the Blackstone Army Airfield near Fort Pickett, Virginia. Adjunct instructors from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs using fire training simulators administered the Aircraft Rescue Fire Fighting Course that meets the job performance requirements of the National Fire Protection Association Standard for Airport Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications... MORE

New urban training facility open at Fort Pickett
October 15, 2017 — The first Virginia National Guard unit to utilize Fort Pickett’s new urban operations training site took advantage of the facility’s instrumentation to create more realistic training scenarios and provide leaders with the ability to watch multiple locations in real time and capture video for after action reviews. Soldiers assigned to the Bedford-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted civil disturbance training Oct. 14, 2017, at the newly-opened Combined Arms Collective Training Facility, or CACTF... MORE

Active shooter exercise tests Fort Pickett, local first responders’ capabilities
October 4, 2017 — Fort Pickett staff members and first responders from the Town of Blackstone, Dinwiddie County and the Virginia State Police conducted an active shooter training exercise Sept. 29, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise was designed to assess Virginia National Guard, state and local first responders’ capabilities and identify any gaps or shortfalls in the current active shooter response plans... MORE

First group of Virginia National Guard Soldiers departs for U.S. Virgin Islands
September 25, 2017 — The first group of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team departed for the U.S Virgin Islands Sept. 24, 2017, from Blackstone Army Airfield in Blackstone, Virginia, to join a multi-state, multi-agency response effort to recent hurricanes. The Soldiers will serve as a mission command headquarters and synchronize all National Guard operations assisting with recovery effort, and additional Soldiers from multiple units from across the commonwealth will continue to deploy in the coming days to provide additional assistance... MORE

Virginia Guard indirect fire infantrymen train on new mobile kit for 120mm mortars
September 20, 2017 — Virginia National Guard indirect fire infantrymen trained on the newly-fielded M326 120mm Mortar Stowage Kit, or MSK, and executed fire missions Sept. 16, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The M326 MSK is a trailer-mounted system allowing Soldiers to quickly emplace, fire and stow the fully-assembled, 300-pound 120mm mortar... MORE

1-111th completes transformation with howitzer live fire
August 30, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team live fired new M777A2 howitzers and upgraded M119A3 howitzers during their two weeks of annual training Aug. 17-31, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia, to complete their transformation into a composite field artillery battalion. As part of the battalion’s transformation, two firing batteries upgraded their howitzers to a newer model, and a third firing battery was activated to field a larger caliber howitzer... MORE

116th IBCT conducts EIB testing, focuses on individual skills
August 15, 2017 — After a week of hands-on training, 254 Soldiers began testing for the Expert Infantryman Badge Aug. 6, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. EIB testing was hosted by the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and was a key event in the brigade’s two-week annual training, held July 29 – Aug. 12, 2017... MORE

Sustainment Rodeo shows off Soldier skills
August 14, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Danville-based 429th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team participated in vehicle obstacle courses, basic Soldier tasks and challenges during the Sustainment Rodeo, Aug. 6-10, 2017 at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

229th BEB Soldiers compete in Sapper Stakes
August 9, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team assembled Sapper Fire Teams and competed against each other during a rigorous 72-hour Sapper Stakes competition, held Aug. 6-9, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The competition was held during the unit’s two-week annual training... MORE

Agreement with NC Guard brings new jobs to MATES, more training to Fort Pickett
July 21, 2017 — The Virginia National Guard has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the North Carolina National Guard to join the West Virginia and Pennsylvania National Guard as external customers storing equipment at the Fort Pickett Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site according to an announcement made June 21, 2017, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. MATES personnel maintain the equipment and make sure it is fully mission capable for Soldiers from the respective states to use for training. The new agreement adds a company of M1 main battle tanks and will bring an additional five full-time jobs to the MATES and additional training personnel to Fort Pickett... MORE

Fort Pickett celebrates 75th birthday
July 5, 2017 — Lt. Col. Preston Scott, Fort Pickett garrison commander, cut a cake July 5, 2017, to celebrate Fort Pickett’s 75th birthday. Originally named Camp Pickett, it was officially dedicated July 3, 1942, with 46,000 acres and the mission of training troops after the United States’ entry into World War II... MORE

183rd RTI hosts historic pistol match at Fort Pickett
June 28, 2017 — It was a historic year of firsts for the Virginia National Guard’s Adjutant General’s Pistol Match, held June 23-25, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. A record-setting 72 shooters, from both the Army and Air National Guard, turned up to test their marksmanship skills against some of the best shooters in the state. For the first time in the event’s history, a team from the Air National Guard became the state’s pistol champions and Sgt. Alexandra Wilson, assigned to Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center, became the first female state pistol champion and the first female recipient of the Governor’s Twenty tab... MORE

Virginia National Guard certifies 26 new rappel masters
June 15, 2017 — After five grueling days, 26 active duty, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers earned their rappel master certification after completing the U.S. Army’s Rappel Master Course, taught by Soldiers of the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute June 5-9, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

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