Virginia National Guard

Commonwealth ChalleNGe graduates Class 60
March 12, 2024 — The Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduated 68 cadets during a ceremony March 2, 2024, at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Retired Army Col. Everton E. Nevers, the Department of Military Affairs Chief Operations Officer, joined Jennifer D. Lanz, director of CCYA, and Yolanda Parker, a CCYA graduate and the guest speaker for the event, on stage to congratulate the graduates of Class 60... MORE

529th CSSB takes responsibility for sustainment mission in Poland
March 12, 2024 — The Virginia National Guard’s Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion unfurled its organizational colors and took responsibility for logistics, maintenance, and supply missions from the U.S. Army Reserve’s 787th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion during a ceremony March 11, 2024, at Forward Operating Site Powidz, Poland... MORE

Soldiers get behind the wheel during 88M MOS Transition Course
March 6, 2024 — U.S. Army Soldiers from across the nation came together to attend the 88M Motor Transport Operator Course, taught by cadre assigned to 2nd Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. The 28-day course teaches Soldiers how to safely operate some of the largest wheeled vehicles in the U.S. Army’s fleet... MORE

VNG recognizes 7 WOCS graduates
March 6, 2024 — The Virginia Army National Guard celebrated the graduation of seven Soldiers from the 183 Regiment, Regional Training Institute’s Warrant Officer Candidate School during a ceremony held March 3, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. For the candidates, their WOCS graduation served as a culmination of years of hard work and dedication in their respective career fields. On average, the candidates had 14 years of service, an overall academic average of 94 percent and represented five branches and two states... MORE

Governor, AG recognize outstanding performance at VNG Military Ball
February 29, 2024 — Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin delivered the keynote address at the 2024 Virginia National Guard Military Ball and Gala Feb. 24, 2024, in Richmond, Virginia, and helped recognize some of the VNG’s top performers... MORE

New VAARNG director of psychological health aims to increase awareness
February 27, 2024 — James O. Parker IV assumed the role of Virginia Army National Guard director of psychological health Feb. 26, 2024. “I am very excited to be begin my role as the new director of psychological health,” Parker said... MORE

James O. Parker IV, the new Virginia Army National Guard director of psychological health, is introduced to members of the VAARNG community by Jonathan Goldwire, the previous DPH, Feb. 15, 2024, in Richmond, Virginia.

From Marine to Guard, a Red Dragon sniper’s journey across continents
February 26, 2024 — Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson’s journey into the military began with a casual invitation from a friend to go “hang out” at the local U.S. Marine Corps recruiting station. His friend had just joined the Marine Corps Reserve and, at 18, Johnson didn’t even really know what a Marine was. He’d just graduated high school and said, “I wasn’t really doing anything.” When the recruiter asked if he wanted to blow stuff up, Johnson said yes, and enlisted as a combat engineer... MORE

Army flight school grad follows in father’s footsteps
February 20, 2024 — When Warrant Officer Paul D. Kelly walked across the stage and graduated flight school Feb.8, 2024, his silver wings were not the only thing he took away with him. Also in his tool kit is a sense of connection he found among those who knew and flew with his late father, Col. Paul M. Kelly, a senior Army aviator who served at the National Guard Bureau and Department of the Army Staff levels, who was killed in action when the warrant officer was only nine years old... MORE

529th CSSB validated, ready for mission in Poland
February 20, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion have been validated for their upcoming federal active duty mission to Poland after conducting a collective training exercise Feb. 12-16, 2024, at Fort Cavazos, Texas.“We received some terrific training over the past few weeks from our... MORE

VNG WOCs hit milestones, hurtle toward graduation
February 14, 2024 — The seven Soldiers currently enrolled in the Virginia Army National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School are nearly through with their transition from noncommissioned officers to fully-fledged warrant officers. Over their most recent drill weekend, held Feb. 2-4, 2024, the candidates tackled their community project at the Chesterfield Food Bank and Outreach Center, took their capstone academic assessment, and presented their class song and sign to their battalion commander... MORE

183rd RTI trains transporters
February 10, 2024 — At the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers learned basic and advanced motor transport skills during the 88M Motor Transport Operator course, taught in two two-week phases Jan. 10-Feb. 7, 2015... MORE

VNG NCO qualifies as Ranger Instructor, serves as RTAC cadre
February 9, 2024 — Sgt. Daniel Leikin joined the Virginia Army National Guard in 2020, just a few months after graduating from high school. In the less than four years since then, he’s been busy. He completed his initial training as an infantryman, then Ranger School, deployed with Task Force Red Dragon and then earned himself a stack of badges to go along with his tab, completing both Air Assault and Airborne School, and earning his Expert Infantryman Badge. It’s his most recent accomplishment though, that he’s the proudest of... MORE

Field artillery NCO reflects on quick-paced military journey
February 6, 2024 — For Sgt. Christopher Brown, the best part about serving in the field artillery is the camaraderie he’s found there. He serves in the Virginia Army National Guard’s Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Hanover, Virginia, as a 13B Cannon Crewmember. He’s been in the military for about half a decade, but has already experienced a handful of schools and both an overseas and stateside deployment... MORE

A Soldier poses in front of a field artillery sign.

34th CERFP conducts CTE at Fort Barfoot
January 31, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the Richmond-based 34th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, conducted a collective training event Jan. 5-7, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia... MORE

Governor Youngkin commends Virginia National Guard
January 31, 2024 — Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin commended the Virginia National Guard for the organization's service to commonwealth and country at a reception Jan. 17, 2024, hosted by the Virginia National Guard Association in Richmond, Virginia... MORE

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