Virginia National Guard

Roche takes command of 29th ID Headquarters Battalion
April 7, 2019 — FORT BELVOIR, Virginia – Lt. Col. John R. Roche assumed command of the Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division from Lt. Col. Edward W. Lewis during a change of command ceremony April 7, 2019, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Maj. Gen. John M. Epperly, commanding general of the 29th, presided over the traditional exchanging of the unit colors that represented the change of command from Lewis to Roche... MORE

Adjutant General sponsoring recruiting poster contest
March 28, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Adjutant General of Virginia is sponsoring a recruiting poster contest that is open to all Soldiers, Airmen and family members. The competition is for posters to be used for marketing to high school and college students, and six Virginia Army National Guard and two Air National Guard winners will be chosen. The Virginia National Guard is in need of state-specific marketing within high schools and colleges in order to generate leads to grow the force... MORE

1710th TC Soldiers recognized for life-saving actions last summer
March 20, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Last summer, on one of the final days of annual training for the 1710th Transportation Company, Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Johnson collapsed on the drill floor of the readiness center in Emporia, Virginia. Three Soldiers – Sgt. 1st Class Michelle Homer, Sgt. Christina So and Sgt. Gella Johnson – administered CPR for approximately six minutes before Johnson regained consciousness. ... MORE

New assignments for Rose, Zana announced
March 15, 2019 — RICHMOND. Va. — National Guard Bureau announced new assignments for Brig. Gen. Michelle M. Rose and Brig. Gen. William L. Zana Feb. 14, 2019. Rose will serve as the J4 director of logistics and engineering at Headquarters North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command in a full-time status starting in July, and Zana will become the J5 deputy director for Africa starting in June. Rose currently serves as the National Guard Bureau J4 director of logistics in a traditional Guard status and Zana is the deputy commander for Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa in a full-time status... MORE

Online, resident training now available for IPPS-A implementation
March 15, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Virginia — The Army’s new personnel and pay system is coming to Virginia this spring and its rollout will require Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers and leaders at all levels to complete various levels of training in order to take full advantage of its capabilities. The Integrated Personnel and Pay System Army, which is scheduled to go live in Virginia April 3, 2019, is an online human resources system that will provide integrated personnel, pay and talent management capabilities in a single system to all Army components for the first time ever... MORE

WOCs scrub, scratch during their community project
March 6, 2019 — CHESTER, Va. — Warrant Officer Candidates assigned to Class 19-001 of the Virginia National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School, taught at the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, assisted in sprucing up Smitty’s Cat Rescue, Feb. 23, 2019, to complete their community project requirement in Chester, Virginia... MORE

HHB, 29th ID troops take top honors at VNG Best Warrior Competition
February 26, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division took home top honors at the annual Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition Feb. 24, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Spc. Esther Alger of Front Royal was named Soldier of the Year and Sgt. 1st Class Paul Bosserman of Harrisonburg earned the title of NCO of the Year after three mentally and physically grueling days of competition against Soldiers and NCOs from six different VNG major subordinate commands... MORE

VNG family, youth volunteer receive national recognition for volunteer service
February 22, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia National Guard family was recognized as the 2018 Army National Guard Family of the Year and a volunteer was recognized with the Extra Mile Award in an announcement published Feb. 13, 2019, by Maj. Gen. Kevin L. McNeely, the Director of J1 Manpower and Personnel at National Guard Bureau... MORE

VNG Soldiers, NCOs to compete in Best Warrior Competition
February 21, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The top Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from the Virginia Army National Guard’s major commands will compete in the Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition Feb. 21-24, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... 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

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

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

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