Virginia National Guard

Ceremonies honor D-Day service, sacrifice on 74th anniversary
June 8, 2018 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers in France and Virginia recognized the 74th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy June 6, 2018, at events that honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day and celebrated those who continued the fight that led to end of World War II. Senior leaders represented the VNG at ceremonies where they placed wreathes on memorials to the fallen, and the Troutville-based 29th Division Band provided ceremonial music at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia... MORE

Virginia National Guard Lakota helicopter and crew depart for Southwest Border support
June 7, 2018 — A Virginia National Guard UH-72 Lakota helicopter with aviation crew departed June 4, 2018, to provide aerial detection and monitoring support for the Arizona National Guard’s mission to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on the Southwest Border. The mission is scheduled to last approximately 90 days and could be extended... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldier charged by Virginia State Police
June 6, 2018 — The Virginia State Police arrested Virginia National Guard Soldier Joshua Philip Yabut, 29, of Richmond, Virginia, for Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, and charged him with one felony count of eluding police and one felony count of unauthorized use of a vehicle. The charges come after he drove an M577 armored personnel carrier June 5, 2018, from Fort Pickett near Blackstone, Virginia, to Richmond, Virginia, where he stopped and surrendered to Virginia State Police. The incident remains under investigation by the VSP. He is being held in the Richmond City Jail... MORE

Training. Weight lifting. Ruck marching. How one Virginia National Guard soldier overcomes challenges, becomes runner-up in Best Warrior Competition
June 5, 2018 — Spc. Johnathan T. Koke used the experience he gained during the 2016 Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition to better prepare for the 2018 event. Koke is a member of the Gate City-based 1032nd Transportation Company, 1030th Transportation Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group and finished as the runner-up for this year’s Best Warrior Competition, a three-day event held in late February... MORE

How one Virginia National Guard soldier overcomes challenges, becomes runner-up in Best Warrior Competition

Bissell promoted to brigadier general, will command NATO headquarters in Sarajevo
June 4, 2018 — Col. Marti J. Bissell was promoted to brigadier general June 1, 2018, in Arlington, Virginia, and she will serve as the Commander and Senior Military Representative at North Atlantic Treaty Organization Headquarters, Sarajevo. A transfer of authority ceremony is scheduled for July 9. Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel, the Chief of National Guard Bureau, officiated the promotion ceremony, and Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, administered the oath of office... MORE

DMA personnel complete Black Belt training
June 4, 2018 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, presented certificates to 12 Virginia Department of Military Affairs personnel who completed Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training May 18, 2018, in Richmond, Virginia. Along with 13 personnel who completed Green Belt training in March, this cadre of LSS practitioners will go to work looking at ways to improve efficiencies, reduce waste and increase readiness across the Virginia National Guard. LSS is a scientific method used for identifying waste and driving out variation in business processes. Four personnel from outside Virginia also completed the training... MORE

Virginia warrant officers take top honors at final WOCS phase
June 3, 2018 — The third and final phase of reserve component Warrant Officer Candidate School brings together National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve candidates from across the nation for two weeks of training. In April, Virginia’s candidates joined 40 of their peers at Fort McClellan in Alabama where they distinguished themselves as some of the best in the nation. On April 21, 2018, all eight of the warrant officer candidates enrolled in Class 18-001 of the Virginia National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School graduated WOCS and became warrant officers. In May, the eight returned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and were recognized for their outstanding success at WOCS. ... MORE

Virginia Soldiers & Airmen compete in state rifle match
May 31, 2018 — cattered storms and heavy rain made way for a wet and muddy two-day marksmanship competition. Fifty-seven Soldiers and Airmen from the Virginia National Guard participated in the Adjutant General’s 2018 Rifle Match May 18-19, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.The annual event is open to all Army and Air National Guard members across the state of... MORE

Virginia’s fallen honored at Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony
May 28, 2018 — Virginians from all branches of the Armed Forces who gave their lives in service to the United States of America were remembered May 28, 2018, at the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. Virginia. Ten Virginia National Guard Soldiers have been killed by hostile enemy action since Sept. 11, 2001, and they are among the more than 300 Virginians remembered on the Wall of Honor at the Memorial... MORE

Enlisted IT expert takes lead at Cyber Shield 18
May 24, 2018 — A shadow warrior’s face, lit by Liquid Crystal Displays with Light Emitting Diode backlighting, remains inscrutable to the public eye. Unknown, unsung, he targets enemy and hostile adversaries via integrated and synchronized cyberspace operations, the fifth dimension of warfare. He works on a handful of computers simultaneously, conducting cyber opposing force support, network warfare activities and cyberspace intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. He provides mission command to network warfare teams, cyber analysis teams and cyber support teams, offering operational direction and guidance in the conduct of cyberspace operations... MORE

Virginia NCO & Maryland Soldier named best warriors in the region
May 22, 2018 — The 2018 Region II Best Warrior Competition brought Soldiers and NCOs from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. to Fort Pickett May 17-20, 2018. After days of physical and mental challenges that had the region’s best Soldiers leaping over obstacles, knocking down targets and testing their military knowledge, Virginia National Guardsman Sgt. Jake Moyer was named the region’s top noncommissioned officer, while Maryland’s Spc. Gerald Villamar was named the top Soldier. The winners from the regional competition will go on to compete at the national level this summer... MORE

Contracting Teams conduct training exercise at Fort Belvoir
May 15, 2018 — Ten Virginia Guard Soldiers assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 1945th Contingency Contracting Team, 329th Regional Support Group conducted a multi-component operational contract support culminating training event May 1-11, 2018, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia... MORE

Officer candidates prep for final phase of OCS
May 7, 2018 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Officer candidates from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., spent a long weekend in May preparing for the third and final phase of Officer Candidate School during a regional Field Level Exercise held May 4-6, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

Approximately 30 National Guard officer candidates from Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., train together during a regional Field Level Exercise May 5, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise aimed to prepare the candidates for the third and final phase of Office Candidate School, which they will attend later this summer. (U.S. National Guard photo by Terra C. Gatti)

Officer candidates prep for final phase of OCS
May 7, 2018 — Officer candidates from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., spent a long weekend in May preparing for the third and final phase of Officer Candidate School during a regional Field Level Exercise held May 4-6, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

Epperly takes command of 29th Infantry Division
May 6, 2018 — Brig. Gen. John M. Epperly took command of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division, Army National Guard, from Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner during a traditional change of command ceremony May 5, 2018, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau, presided over the exchange of unit colors that represented the transfer of command from Ortner to Epperly... MORE

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