Virginia National Guard

DMA hosts orientation for new employees
September 23, 2020 — The Virginia Department of Military Affairs hosted five new employees for a quarterly New Employee Orientation Class Sept. 1, 2020, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Four new state employees and one Virginia National Guard Soldier on Active Duty for Operational Support orders attended the course. The orientation is a one-day course hosted by DMA leadership including retired Brig. Gen. Walt Mercer, the DMA chief operations officer, and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Tim White, the DMA instructor and trainer. The goal of the program is to not only cover the administrative aspects of in-processing new state workers, but also to help familiarize them with the agency and its organization... MORE

Va. National Guard resuming COVID-19 response support
September 8, 2020 — Approximately 85 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are trained and ready to resume support for Virginia’s COVID-19 response Sept. 8, 2020, and they are available to conduct COVID-19 sample test collection and training on the proper fit and wear of personal protective equipment. They spent about a week training and and preparing to include training with Virginia Department of Health medical professionals Sept. 4. The VNG will also provide regional planners to support Virginia Department of Emergency Management and VDH priorities for COVID-19 response... MORE

New laws benefit DMA, veterans with disabilities
August 21, 2020 — Virginia Governor Ralph Northam ceremonially signed into law two bills benefitting the Virginia Department of Military Affairs as well as veterans with disabilities during a virtual bill signing ceremony Aug. 4, 2020... MORE

VNG SARC hosts victim advocate refresher training
August 21, 2020 — The Virginia National Guard hosted more than two dozen Airmen, Soldiers and civilians from the Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware National Guard for a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Victim Advocate refresher training course Aug. 10-14, 2020, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The 32-hour training focused on victim advocacy, prevention and ethics and featured guest speakers from local, state and national agencies... MORE

Hurricane exercise prepares VNG for rapid response
August 21, 2020 — The Virginia National Guard Joint Staff completed a virtual hurricane tabletop exercise Aug. 17, 2020, focused on improving the VNG’s ability to rapidly respond to hazardous weather events in a COVID-19 environment. More than 50 Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force took part in the exercise... MORE

VNG Soldiers clear debris in Onancock following storm

Va. Dept. Military Affairs, other agencies partner to protect rare sea turtle nest
August 17, 2020 — The State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is playing host to some very special guests this summer – hundreds of loggerhead sea turtle eggs in a recently-discovered nest in the dunes on the installation’s beachfront... MORE

A loggerhead sea turtle nest is protected on a dune at the beachfront July 30, 2020, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. SMR is working together with the natural resource managers from the Department of Military Affairs and from Naval Air Station Oceana, as well as with scientists from the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and biologists from U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to help protect the rare nest until the hatchlings emerge. (U.S. National Guard photo by Mike Vrabel)

VNG Youth Program hosts first Virtual Summer Camp
August 17, 2020 — The Virginia National Guard Youth Program launched its first Virtual Camp July 27-31, 2020. Fifty-three campers and 11 National Guard teens participated in the week long, online experience. Prior to camp, campers and teens received Camp Boxes in the mail containing a t-shirt, water bottle, and a variety of camp packets for the various online sessions they were to engage in throughout the week... MORE

Campers sit and get ready to watch a live stream session during the Virginia National Guard Youth Program’s Virtual Summer Camp July 29, 2020. Fifty-three campers and 11 National Guard teens participated in the week-long, online experience.

34th CERFP provides critical testing support to Commonwealth's COVID-19 response
July 29, 2020 — RICHMOND, Virginia — Nearly 200 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are concluding more than three months of continuous sample collection and other missions in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s COVID-19 response efforts. The Soldiers and Airman are assigned to the Richmond-based 34th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosives… ... MORE

34th CST sharpens response skills during exercise in Maryland
July 29, 2020 — GLEN ARM, Maryland — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 34th Civil Support Team honed their chemical and biological recognition skills during a training exercise July 21-23, 2020, at H Steven Blum Military Reservation in Glen Arm, Maryland. 18 of the CST’s Soldiers and Airmen… ... MORE

About the Virginia National Guard
July 1, 2020 — The Virginia National Guard is a unique dual-status force with a federal mission to provide a combat reserve for the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force to fight our nation’s wars and a state mission to provide a response force that answers the call of the Governor to defend the commonwealth. The VNG traces the history and tradition of Citizen-Soldier service to the founding of Jamestown in 1607, and there has been a military presence defending Virginia ever since... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard command selections announced
June 22, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — Selections for Virginia Army National Guard brigade and battalion commands were made June 19, 2020, by the Adjutant General of Virginia, and June 18 with the release of the results of the annual VaARNG Field Grade Assignment Board. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of… ... MORE

Donations bring important World War II-era artifacts to VNG collection
June 17, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s historical collection has a wealth of new World War II-era artifacts thanks to generous recent donations from a couple different sources. The donations include the personal effects of Maj. Gen. Edward M. Hudgins, who originally enlisted in the the Virginia National Guard’s Company… ... MORE

Virginia National Guard hosts D-Day observation
June 6, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard hosted a brief observation of the 76th anniversary of D-Day June 6, 2020, at the Sgt. Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Chief Master Sergeant James J. Profita, the… ... MORE

Virginia National Guard assisting law enforcement
June 5, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are providing direct support to state and local law enforcement to help keep their fellow Virginians safe after Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency May 31, 2020, in response to escalating violence across the Commonwealth. “It is difficult to… ... MORE

VNG continues to support state COVID-19 response
May 21, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard has more than 530 personnel actively working or ready to support the Commonwealth of Virginia’s COVID-19 response as of May 21, 2020. VNG Soldiers, Airmen, and members of the Virginia Defense Force are conducting numerous missions including sample collection for COVID-19 testing, N95 […] ... MORE

Archive by Year

News Archive by Category