Virginia National Guard

Roche takes command of 29th ID Headquarters Battalion
April 7, 2019 — FORT BELVOIR, Virginia – Lt. Col. John R. Roche assumed command of the Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division from Lt. Col. Edward W. Lewis during a change of command ceremony April 7, 2019, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Maj. Gen. John M. Epperly, commanding general of the 29th, presided over the traditional exchanging of the unit colors that represented the change of command from Lewis to Roche... MORE

HHB, 29th ID troops take top honors at VNG Best Warrior Competition
February 26, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division took home top honors at the annual Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition Feb. 24, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Spc. Esther Alger of Front Royal was named Soldier of the Year and Sgt. 1st Class Paul Bosserman of Harrisonburg earned the title of NCO of the Year after three mentally and physically grueling days of competition against Soldiers and NCOs from six different VNG major subordinate commands... MORE

Virginia’s Newest Ranger recognized at Washington Capitals Game
February 20, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Just a few days before graduating from his initial training to become an infantryman, Virginia National Guard Soldier Pfc. Gavin Asbury was offered the chance to go to Ranger School. He’d tried to show initiative during his training, had scored high on his physical fitness assessments and exceeded the standard during his training at Fort Benning. His drill sergeants noticed his success and recommended he, along with a handful of his peers, take their training to the next level and try for a spot at Ranger School... MORE

Virginia welcomes first female infantry officer
February 6, 2019 — FORT BENNING, Ga. — On Feb. 1, 2019, 1st Lt. Candice Bowen graduated from the U.S. Army’s Infantry Basic Officer Course and became the Virginia National Guard’s first female infantry officer. She joins a small group of other women who have successfully completed training at Fort Benning to become infantry Soldiers and officers since the career field was opened to women in 2016... MORE

29th ID Soldiers gain valuable experience at Warfighter exercise
November 5, 2018 — Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division prepared for future missions at a “Warfighter” exercise Sept. 28 – Oct. 12, 2018, at Camp Atterbury, Indiana... MORE

Ferris selected as new 29th Infantry Division command sergeant major
October 26, 2018 — Command Sgt. Maj. Alan M. Ferris has been selected to serve as the new 29th Infantry Division command sergeant major, according to an announcement made Oct. 26, 2018, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. Ferris succeeds Command Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Smith, Jr. who now serves as the Virginia Army National Guard command sergeant major. Ferris has served as the Virginia National Guard senior enlisted leader since Dec. 1, 2014, in a traditional Guard status, and his effective date of assignment in the new position will be Dec. 1, 2018... MORE

Rhodes selected as 29th Infantry Division deputy commanding general
October 26, 2018 — Brig. Gen. John M. Rhodes of the Mississippi Army National Guard has been selected to serve as the 29th Infantry Division deputy commanding general for operations, according to an announcement made Oct. 26, 2018, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. Rhodes succeeds Maj. Gen. John M. Epperly who served as the DCG prior to taking command of the division, and his effective date in the position was Sept. 12, 2018... MORE

Va. flight crews build trust, train with W. Va. special operators
September 3, 2018 — A crowd of spectators started to form as two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters appeared over the tree line and landed along the shore of Lake Erie. It was almost lunchtime on Sept. 5, 2018, and already that morning a small group of Soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group were busy preparing their equipment and getting ready for the day’s training in Hamburg, New York, just south of Buffalo... MORE

AG visits 29th Infantry Division Band
August 14, 2018 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and his wife Cheryl visited the Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band Aug. 12, 2018, to tour the facility and sit in on a rehearsal. Maj. Gen. Williams played tenor saxophone, and Mrs. Williams played trombone... MORE

Va. National Guard aviation battalion trains around the state
July 10, 2018 — The Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division trained on squad and platoon-level proficiency, door gunnery, personnel recovery, downed aircraft recovery and basic Soldier skills from June 2-16, 2018, at sites including Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Pickett and the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. ... MORE

Ceremonies honor D-Day service, sacrifice on 74th anniversary
June 8, 2018 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers in France and Virginia recognized the 74th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy June 6, 2018, at events that honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice on D-Day and celebrated those who continued the fight that led to end of World War II. Senior leaders represented the VNG at ceremonies where they placed wreathes on memorials to the fallen, and the Troutville-based 29th Division Band provided ceremonial music at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia... MORE

Virginia National Guard Lakota helicopter and crew depart for Southwest Border support
June 7, 2018 — A Virginia National Guard UH-72 Lakota helicopter with aviation crew departed June 4, 2018, to provide aerial detection and monitoring support for the Arizona National Guard’s mission to assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on the Southwest Border. The mission is scheduled to last approximately 90 days and could be extended... MORE

Epperly takes command of 29th Infantry Division
May 6, 2018 — Brig. Gen. John M. Epperly took command of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division, Army National Guard, from Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner during a traditional change of command ceremony May 5, 2018, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Lt. Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, Vice Chief, National Guard Bureau, presided over the exchange of unit colors that represented the transfer of command from Ortner to Epperly... MORE

29th Soldiers participate in ceremony honoring WWI veteran
April 7, 2018 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division participated in a memorial tree planting ceremony to honor the memory of Pvt. Herman Davis, a decorated World War I veteran, March 4, 2018, in Manila, Arkansas. The ceremony commemorates the 100th anniversary of Davis’s enlistment into Company I, 113th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division... MORE

Epperly to succeed Ortner as commander of 29th Infantry Division
April 5, 2018 — Brig. Gen. John M. Epperly will succeed Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner as the commander of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division, according to an announcement made April 5, 2018, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. The assignment was effective April 5... MORE

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