Virginia National Guard

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

29ID Concludes Tour as Task Force Spartan

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

29th ID Band Brass Ensemble plays holiday tunes in Roanoke

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

U.S., Jordanian Soldiers build relationships through language
February 4, 2022 — Relationships are important, and intentional communication is essential to building relationships. Soldiers assigned to units composing Task Force Spartan are committed to establishing communication with their Jordanian partners while serving at the Joint Training Center near Zarqa, Jordan.These Soldiers are in a unique position, having Jordanian... MORE

Brothers in Arms: Virginia siblings serve together in Kuwait
February 1, 2022 — For many service members and veterans, the military is often characterized as a “brotherhood” in which strong bonds are built through shared experiences. For Sgt. 1st Class Robert Johnson, G32 Aviation noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Task Force Spartan, and Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Johnson, Air Mission Request noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Task Force Spartan, their “brotherhood” began long before either of them joined the military. ... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Johnson and Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Johnson are brothers who are deployed together with the 29th Infantry Division to Kuwait as part of Task Force Spartan.

VNG brigade HQs, aviation battalion begin mission to Kosovo
January 12, 2022 — The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters officially began federal active duty Jan. 5, 2022, to take responsibility for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, and the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division started their mobilization as their aviation task force Jan. 2... MORE

29th ID Soldiers who served in Kosovo serve together again in Kuwait
January 4, 2022 — It was just over 15 years ago that 12 Soldiers who are presently deployed with the 29th Infantry Division as Task Force Spartan were part of a brigade-sized element that assumed the duties of Task Force Falcon, Kosovo Force 8, Multinational Task Force-East based at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo... MORE

Governor, First Lady host families of deployed VNG Soldiers, Airmen
January 3, 2022 — Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the First Lady of Virginia Pam Northam hosted a reception for Virginia National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and their families Dec. 11, 2021, at Virginia’s Executive Mansion in Richmond, Virginia... MORE

Va. National Guard task force begins federal active duty for security mission in Africa
November 27, 2021 — State and federal elected officials and senior military leaders joined families, friends and fellow Soldiers to mark the official start of federal active duty for more than 1,000 Virginia and Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers Nov. 27, 2021, at departure ceremonies in Bedford, Virginia, and Lexington, Kentucky... MORE

Veterans Day observed across Virginia and overseas
November 17, 2021 — Virginia National Guard personnel honored the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Armed Forces at ceremonies across Virginia as well as overseas Nov. 11, 2021, in honor of Veterans Day... MORE

Veterans honored at Va. War Memorial Ceremony

Despite mission change, 29th ID Soldiers' resilience proves useful in escort mission
November 8, 2021 — With just a bit more information than the fictitious Rangers who boarded a plane with “mission undetermined, destination unknown,” a handful of Soldiers from Task Force Freedom and 29th Infantry Division showed the same grit and determination when they accepted their mission during Operation Allies Refuge. ... MORE

29th ID cadet continues family’s extensive legacy of military service
November 3, 2021 — Upon swearing into the Virginia Army National Guard Aug. 20, 2021, Cadet Ethan Pulket began adding to his family’s legacy of more than 200 years of combined military service. For generations, his family has served in the National Guard and, notably, the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division, where Pulket will be assigned upon receiving his commission. ... MORE

Cadet Ethan Pulkit swears into the Virginia Army National Guard in front of family, friends and peers during a ceremony held Aug. 20, 2021, at Christopher Newport University McMurran Hall, Newport News, Virginia. With more than 200 years of combined family service in the National Guard, Pulket will be following in his family's footsteps and be part of the 4th generation to continue the legacy of military service to the nation and the 29th ID. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Lisa M. Sadler)

TF Spartan, 29th ID stand up TF Freedom, move 5,000 Afghans through Kuwait
November 2, 2021 — On a particularly hazy mid-September day in Kuwait, Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general of Task Force Spartan and the National Guard’s Virginia-based 29th Infantry Division, stood near a camp on a military base in Kuwait. Empty tents lined the desert in front of him. This was his Soldiers’ doing. ... MORE

VNG aviators train fire-fighting skills before KFOR deployment
October 19, 2021 — With an upcoming deployment to Kosovo, Virginia Army National Guard flight crews took to the skies of Chesterfield, Virginia, to certify their ability to fight fires with massive water buckets Oct. 12, 2021. The buckets are capable of picking up and hauling nearly 6,000 pounds of water, which can then be flown to the site of a wildfire and dropped to assist with fire-fighting efforts on the ground. ... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard flight crews conduct water bucket training with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters Oct. 12, 2021, at a training area in Chesterfield, Virginia. Aviation assets can support fire-fighting efforts with the use of water buckets, which require periodic training for flight crews in order to ensure equipment proficiency. These Soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Kosovo with the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division in early 2022, where fire-fighting capabilities may be needed. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

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