Virginia National Guard

VNG aviators lead KFOR aerial firefighting success
August 18, 2022 — Aviation Soldiers assigned to Kosovo Force’s Regional Command-East have been working hand in hand since arriving in the region to enhance their aerial firefighting capabilities... MORE

Naming Commission announces decision to retain 29th Infantry Division patch
August 1, 2022 — The Naming Commission announced Aug. 1, 2022, they will recommend to retain the 29th Infantry Division patch. According to a new release from the Naming Commission, in a July letter to leading members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, retired Navy Adm. Michelle J. Howard, Naming Commission chair, gave notice of the commission’s intent to recommend the Army leave the 29th Infantry Division symbol unchanged, but modify the heraldry description to remove language that implies Confederate service and reconciliation of the North and South... MORE

29th ID Soldiers from Maryland, Virginia recognized for overseas deployment
July 13, 2022 — Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division Headquarters were recognized for their federal active-duty service June 26, 2022, in Baltimore. The Soldiers returned to the United States in late March 2022 after completing a nine-month deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility as the headquarters of Task Force Spartan, which exercises command and control of Operation Spartan Shield... MORE

“Major of Saint Lô,” other Citadel cadets honored at D-Day Memorial
June 15, 2022 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and alumni from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, attended a memorial plaque dedication at the National D-Day Memorial June 4, 2022, in Bedford, Virginia. ... MORE

Virginia National Guard helps commemorate 78th anniversary of D-Day
June 14, 2022 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Virginia National Guard Soldiers, including the Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band, participated in the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the 1944 Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy June 6, 2022, at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. ... MORE

VNG’s first Filipino battery commander continues family military legacy
May 26, 2022 — Capt. Samuel Ignacio is the first Filipino American to serve as a battery commander in the Virginia National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He started his career in 2005 as an enlisted Soldier, serving for seven years as a 42A Human Resources Specialist before earning his commission. ... MORE

Food & family key to culture for VNG Soldier
May 23, 2022 — When Spc. Michael Delos Trinos thinks about his Filipino heritage, what comes to mind first is the food and the importance of family. A first generation Filipino American, Delos Trinos is currently assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division. He recently completed Basic Combat Training, or BCT, and plans to start Officer Candidate School later this year. His favorite Filipino food is lechon, a roasted suckling pig usually stuffed with spices and seasonings and cooked over an open flame which results in a flavorful offering of crispy-skinned pork. ... MORE

Maintenance key to Black Hawk helicopters’ ability to accomplish mission in Kosovo
May 13, 2022 — U.S. Army helicopter repairers and maintainers play a critical role in keeping aviation assets flying through routine upkeep and conducting on-the-spot repairs, keeping helicopters safe and ready to fly in hundreds of Army missions... MORE

Virginia National Guard officer talks motivation, training to become Army aviator
May 2, 2022 — Virginia National Guard 1st Lt. Jonathan Murray, deployed to Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, is the medical evacuations, or MEDEVAC, operations officer for Kosovo Force Regional Command- East and is living his dream of flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. ... MORE

229th BEB, RRB Soldiers capture 2022 VNG Best Warrior titles
April 6, 2022 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers representing the 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion and the Recruiting and Retention Battalion claimed top honors at the 2022 Virginia Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition April 3, 2022, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia... MORE

29th ID returns to USA after Spartan Shield rotation
March 25, 2022 — The final group of Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division Headquarters return to the United States March 24, 2022, and were greeted by senior leaders from the Virginia National Guard when their plane landed at Fort Hood, Texas... MORE

29th ID concludes tour as Task Force Spartan
March 22, 2022 — Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard, relinquished command of Task Force Spartan to Maj. Gen. William Blaylock II, commanding general, 35th Infantry Division, Kansas Army National Guard, March 20, 2022, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait... MORE

Education center offers opportunities to learn, lead for evacuated Afghans
March 7, 2022 — Evacuated Afghan children who have been out of school since August 2021 are back in class thanks to a newly-renovated community education center here. Located across the street from where Afghan evacuees are temporarily staying while awaiting processing for onward movement, the center is opened to adults and children and a result of collaboration efforts among multiple organizations currently participating in the largest evacuation of at-risk personnel since the Vietnam War, said Maj. Delphoney Kargbo, a 29th Infantry Division chaplain currently supporting Task Force Liberty. ... MORE

29th ID Band troops balance Soldier tasks, musical performances in unusually busy year
February 22, 2022 — Between departure ceremonies, a gubernatorial inauguration and other public performances, the Virginia National Guard’s most publicly-visible Soldiers have been busier than usual this training year. The 29th Infantry Division Band, which averages between 35-40 missions per year, has already performed 25 missions since Oct. 1, 2021, and many more are on the way... MORE

2-224th Aviation Regiment mobilizes to KFOR
February 14, 2022 — Soldiers and aviators of 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, Virginia Army National Guard, successfully conducted their mobilization and final readiness checks for their deployment to the Republic of Kosovo... MORE

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