Virginia National Guard

Red Dragon snipers showcase strength, skill at Finnish Sniper Championship
November 5, 2024 — For the third consecutive year, snipers from the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team traveled to Finland to compete against their international peers at the HÄYHÄ 2024 Sniper Shooting Championship. Three Red Dragon snipers - Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson, Sgt. James O’Connell and Spc. Jonathan Farrar - competed Sept. 20-22, 2024, at a training site near Imatra, Finland... MORE

Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson, Sgt. James O’Connell, and Spc. Jonathan Farrar pose together competiting together in the HÄYHÄ 2024 Sniper Shooting Championship Sept. 20-22, 2024, in Finland. (Courtesy Photo)

229th BEB Soldier wraps up eventful summer after Air Race Classic triumph
October 21, 2024 — Spc. Ashley Asselin’s journey into the world of aviation took off during her high school JROTC experience. Since then, she’s earned her pilot’s license, joined the Virginia Army National Guard as a 15E Unmanned Aircraft Systems Repairer, finished her undergraduate degree at Liberty University and joined the full-time staff there as a flight instructor. This summer, she soared to new heights by finishing in the top five of her division in the renowned all-women’s Air Race Classic... MORE

Spc. Ashley Asselin, at left, competes in the 2024 Women's Air Race Classic June 18-21, 2024, with her teammates from Liberty University. (Courtesy photo)

New senior enlisted leaders for 116th IBCT, 329th RSG, MTC announced
October 4, 2024 — Command Sgt. Maj. Irving N. Reed, the Virginia Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major, announced the selection of new senior enlisted leaders for three VAARNG commands Oct. 4, 2024... MORE

St. Lo Battalion squads compete for “Chubby Cup”
September 9, 2024 — Ten teams of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team competed in the battalion’s 3rd annual Carl “Chubby” Proffitt Jr. Squad Competition Sept. 7, 2024, at Fort Walker, Virginia. ... MORE

116th IBCT provides OPFOR support for JRTC rotation
August 30, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provided opposing force support during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 24-09 July 8 - Aug. 3, 2024, at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. ... MORE

116th IBCT Soldiers provide opposing force at JRTC

Cooper's journey of grit and growth at ARNG's Best Warrior Competition
August 27, 2024 — For five arduous days, Sgt. Carter Cooper, one of the top National Guard Soldiers in the nation, tackled challenge after challenge at the 2024 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, held Aug. 4-8, 2024, at the Ethan Allen Firing Range near Jericho, Vermont. Cooper was one of 14 competitors culled from the nation’s seven regions... MORE

Fallen VNG Soldier receives new recognition 86 years later
August 8, 2024 — On the 86th anniversary of his passing, a former Virginia National Guard Soldier’s grave received a plaque commemorating his service and sacrifice thanks to the efforts of the Virginia National Guard’s Enlisted Association and Historical Foundation during a ceremony Aug. 3, 2024, in Richmond, Virginia. ... MORE

429th BSB Soldiers conduct training at Camp Dodge, Iowa
July 29, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Danville-based 429th Brigade Support Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted annual training June 16-28, 2024, at the Army National Guard Sustainment Training Center at Camp Dodge, Iowa... MORE

BSRT event reconnects military couples
July 16, 2024 — The Virginia Army National Guard Chaplain Corps conducted a Building Strong and Ready Teams training June 21-23, 2024, in Williamsburg, Virginia. This event was conducted for Soldiers and family members of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division headquarters and the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers and their family members enjoy a Building Strong and Ready Teams training June 21-23, 2024, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

29th ID Band commemorates D-Day anniversary at home, abroad
July 4, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band conducted a unique and historic annual training in June 2024, helping commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, both here in the United States as well as in Normandy, France... MORE

29th ID Band performs D-Day anniversary performances at home, abroad

Task Force St. Lo Soldiers complete Operation Immediate Response 24 in Czech Republic
June 10, 2024 — Nearly 800 Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia National Guard Soldiers conducted annual training in May 2024 in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic as part of Operation Immediate Response 24, a sub-component exercise of STEADFAST DEFENDER 24... MORE

Top VNG Soldier’s journey from Scout Platoon to regional recognition
May 31, 2024 — Sgt. Carter Cooper, an infantryman assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was named the region’s top Soldier May 10, 2024, after representing the Virginia Army National Guard at the Region II Best Warrior Competition in Maryland. The competition ran for four days and included Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. ... MORE

116th’s Cooper takes top Soldier honors at Region Il BWC
May 14, 2024 — Sgt. Carter Cooper, a Virginia Army National Guard infantry Soldier assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, took top honors in the Soldier category of the National Guard Bureau Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 6-10, 2024... MORE

Task Force St. Lo Soldiers celebrate Victory in Europe Day alongside Czech partners
May 11, 2024 — Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia National Guard Soldiers participated in a Victory in Europe celebration held May 8, 2024, in Hranice, Czech Republic... MORE

Guardsmen celebrate Victory in Europe Day alongside Czech partners

From ambulances to artillery: one NCO’s pursuit of military & medical dreams
April 15, 2024 — As a young adult, Sgt. Stella Escano knew she wanted to attend medical school. She also knew she wanted to eventually serve in the military, but wanted to get her education locked in first. Growing up in and around Norfolk, Virginia, an area with a dense military presence, Escano was quite familiar with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, but neither of those options felt like the right choice for her. So, she went online and did some research... MORE

Sgt. Stella Escano takes a written exam alongside her fellow competitors at the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s Best Warrior Competition held Jan. 5-7, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. (Courtesy photo)

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