Virginia National Guard

Smith takes command of 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
June 6, 2016 — Col. E. Scott Smith takes command of the Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Col. William J. Coffin June 5, 2016, in a traditional change of command ceremony at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard’s Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of unit colors that represented the transfer of command from Coffin to Smith... MORE

Departure ceremony sends off Sandston-based aviation units
May 28, 2016 — A departure ceremony for two Virginia National Guard Sandston-based aviation units held May 27, 2016, marked the start of their federal active duty mission. Senior leaders from state government and the Virginia National Guard joined family members, friends and fellow Soldiers in bidding farewell to the Soldiers. Approximately 40 Soldiers each assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, and Detachment 2, Company B, 777th Aviation Support Battalion, are scheduled to begin serving on federal active duty in early June 2016. The units will be based in Kuwait and provide rotary wing aviation and aviation maintenance support to the U. S. Central Command area of operations. ... MORE

Zana takes charge of 91st Troop Command
May 24, 2016 — Col. William L. Zana took command of the Bowling Green-based 91st Troop Command from Col. Lapthe C. Flora May 21, 2016, in a traditional change of command ceremony at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard’s Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of unit colors that represented the transfer of command from Flora to Zana... MORE

Dept. of Military Affairs recognizes, thanks state employees
May 18, 2016 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, Brig. Gen. Paul F. Griffin, Virginia National Guard Director of the Joint Staff, and Walter L. Mercer, Director of Personnel and Administration for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, recognized and thanked Virginia Department of Military Affairs state employees at luncheons and awards ceremonies May 10, 2016, at Fort Pickett and May 12, 2016, at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach... MORE

Family, friends, senior leaders bid farewell to the Red Dragons
May 18, 2016 — Senior leaders from state government and the Virginia National Guard, family, friends and fellow Soldiers bid farewell to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at multiple departure events May 14-16, 2016... MORE

Transfer of Authority Ceremony held for 116th MET
May 11, 2016 — Soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Military Engagement Team transferred authority to the Virginia National Guard’s 116th Military Engagement Team in a ceremony held May 8, 2016, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait... MORE

Va. Soldiers take first place at 37th BEB Sapper Stakes competition
May 10, 2016 — A squad of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fredericksburg-based 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 116th IBCT took first place in the Sapper Stakes competition conducted by the Fort Bragg, North Carolina-based 37th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division May 7, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The team navigated multiple stations including emplacement of a wire obstacle, leadership reaction course, obstacle course, rope bridge urban breach and M4 rifle qualification. A total of 18 teams took part in the competition, and the Virginia Guard engineers completed the course in seven hours and five minutes, 14 minutes ahead of the second place team. Soldiers from the 116th BSTB joined engineers from the 37th BEB for numerous training opportunities at Fort Pickett that was part of an ongoing partnership between the two units... MORE

Virginia Guard Soldiers train for Military Funeral Honors duty
May 5, 2016 — The Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program conducted Level 1 Funeral Honors training April 26-30 2016, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Eight Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from throughout the state participated in the 40-hour certification course which prepares Soldiers to conduct professional military funeral honors in accordance with service tradition... MORE

High-performing Va. Army, Air Guard units recognized
May 2, 2016 — High performing Virginia Army and Air National Guard units were recognized at the Virginia National Guard Officer and Enlisted Association Conferences April 30, 2016, in Hampton and Newport News, Virginia... MORE

High-performing Va. Army and Air Guard units recognized

Candidates, cadre, graduates celebrate OCS 58th birthday
April 26, 2016 — RICHMOND, Va. — Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrated its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action... MORE

Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrate its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Va. Guard Soldiers help evacuate injured hiker
April 26, 2016 — Virginia National Guard combat engineers put years of military training and experience to work when they helped a volunteer search and rescue crew evacuate an injured hiker off Old Rag Mountain April 24, 2016, in the Shenandoah National Park near Madison County, Virginia... MORE

Va. National Guard special response force conducts exercise
April 17, 2016 — More than 180 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, High Yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, as well as members of the Virginia Defense Force, conducted a simulation exercise April 16, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia, to test the unit’s capabilities to assist in the emergency response for a simulated structure collapse and chemical spill. The CERFP (pronounced “surf-p”) performs tasks associated with consequence management, urban search and rescue, mass causality decontamination, medical triage and stabilization and human remains recovery... MORE

Rep. Brat visits, tours Fort Pickett
April 7, 2016 — Rep. Dave Brat visited the Virginia National Guard’s Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center March 31, 2016. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Lt. Col. Preston Scott, Fort Pickett garrison commander, provided an overview of the installation and its capabilities, then escorted Brat on a tour of the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and the Fort Pickett virtual training facility. “It was a pleasure to learn about how these brave men serve,” Brat said on Facebook... MORE

NCO, Soldier earn top honors in Va. Guard competition
April 4, 2016 — Sgt. David Perry was recognized as the Virginia Army National Guard Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, and Spc. Jeffrey Patteson was named the Soldier of the Year April 3, 2016, after the three-day 2016 Soldier and NCO of the Year Competition at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Both Soldiers are assigned to the Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center... MORE

Va. Guard cyber specialists conduct network assessments
March 28, 2016 — Virginia Army National Guard cyber experts put their skills and experience to work to help a Virginia locality strengthen its network after completing a weeklong vulnerability assessment March 25, 2016. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe authorized funds to put Virginia Guard Soldiers on state active duty to conduct the first in a series of assessments aimed at improving network security in the state... MORE

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