Virginia National Guard

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)

Historic documents help reveal back story of 29th ID patch, creator
October 19, 2021 — Thanks to recently uncovered documents in the Virginia National Guard’s historical collection, more is being learned about the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division’s iconic blue and gray unit patch, as well as about the Soldier who designed it. ... MORE

Named after Gen. Colin Powell, a VNG Soldier mourns his passing
October 19, 2021 — The young medic who bears a general’s name was just wrapping up his day when news broke that the man for whom he was named had died. His first thought was that life was too short. His second thought was of the general’s life, which had meant so much to so many around the world that the medic’s grandfather named him “CollinPowell” the day he was born in Cameroon... MORE

Spc. Collinpowell Ebai, a Virginia Army National Guard medic Soldier currently deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield with the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division, demonstrates the proper casualty evaluation techniques during a training event.

Born in Cameroon, Ebai was named after Gen. Colin Powell, who died Oct. 18. (Courtesy photo)

Richmond native named honor graduate, Equal Opportunity Leader
September 13, 2021 — On her first deployment to Kuwait with the 29th Infantry Division in support of Operation Spartan Shield, Spc. Shenika Marable wistfully wished to be an equal opportunity leader (EOL) for the unit. Army regulations that required an EOL be a sergeant-promotable or higher rank dashed her hopes... MORE

29th ID mother, son deployed together
September 11, 2021 — When deployed Chief Warrant Officer 3 Sandra Williams misses her son, Alex, she doesn’t have to do math to figure out what time it is where he is located before calling him. Because they are deployed together in support of Operation Spartan Shield, the mother-son combo not only share the same moon – they share the same time zone... MORE

Afghan-American 29ID Soldier supports Afghanistan evacuation efforts
September 10, 2021 — U.S. Army Soldiers are embracing opportunities to support Afghanistan evacuation efforts in every way possible. Spc. Toraj Rozbeh, an Information Operations Specialist currently deployed to Kuwait with the Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division, Task Force Spartan, U.S. Army Central, is sharing and maximizing his ethnicity as an Afghan American to assist with building bridges and easing the processes throughout Operation Allies Refuge efforts... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard Spc. Toraj Rozbeh, who was born and raised in Afghanistan before immigrating to the United States, is deployed to Kuwait with the 29th Infantry Division. He is serving as an interpreter and cultural adviser for the Task Force Freedom command team during Operation Allies Refuge.

Va. National Guard Sandston-based aviation battalion to mobilize for duty in Kosovo
August 23, 2021 — Approximately 140 Soldiers assigned to the Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division will mobilize for federal active duty in early January 2022 as the aviation task force for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, according to an announcement made Aug. 23, 2021, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia... MORE

1-169th conducts medical evacuation training during AT

29ID assumes authority of Task Force Spartan
July 23, 2021 — Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard, assumed command of Task Force Spartan from Maj. Gen. Patrick Hamilton, commanding general, 36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, July 20, 2021. The transfer of authority ceremony was presided over by Lt. Gen. Terry Ferrell, commanding general, U.S. Army Central... MORE

Deployed 29th Infantry Division warrant officers celebrate 103rd birthday
July 12, 2021 — Virginia Army National Guard warrant officers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield, celebrated the Warrant Officer Corps’ 103rd birthday alongside their 36th Infantry Division counterparts July 9, 2021, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait... MORE

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