Virginia National Guard

Fredericksburg Guard battalion returns to engineer roots
October 16, 2016 — The Virginia National Guard’s Fredericksburg-based 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion returned to its engineer roots with a ceremony to mark its transformation to the 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion Oct. 15, 2016, at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia. The transformation is part of the U. S. Army’s reorganization of brigade combat teams to provide more engineer capabilities... MORE

Va. Guard supports state response to Hurricane Matthew
October 12, 2016 — More than 160 Virginia National Guard Soldiers served on state active duty to assist with the multi-agency state response to Hurricane Matthew Oct. 9-10, 2016, in the Hampton Roads area. Soldiers driving Humvees and light/medium tactical trucks provided high water transportation and were also organized into teams with chain saws to help clear debris and open roads blocked by fallen trees... MORE

116th MET meets counterparts, trains with 7 partner nations
October 7, 2016 — Members of the Kentucky National Guard’s 149th Military Engagement Team arrived in Kuwait September 13, 2016, to conduct a Pre-Deployment Site Survey, or PDSS, and learn the mission they’ll soon be taking over from members of the 116th Military Engagement Team... MORE

Task Force Normandy Soldiers recognized for federal duty
September 19, 2016 — Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran presented the Governor’s National Service Medal to Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Sept. 17, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia, in recognition of their federal active duty service from September 2015 to July 2016. Senior Virginia National Guard leaders from the state level as well as the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were on hand to formally welcome the Soldiers home and thank them for their service... MORE

116th MET reaches midpoint of overseas deployment
September 16, 2016 — The 26 Soldiers of the 116th Military Engagement Team reached the midpoint of their overseas deployment in August 2016, having completed more than four months in countries including Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia while also traveling throughout Central Asia, the Greater Levant and the Arabian Peninsula working with military members of partner nations... MORE

Va. Guard supports state’s multi-agency severe weather response
September 5, 2016 — The Virginia National Guard staged more than 270 Soldiers at readiness centers and fire stations Sept. 3, 2016, in the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore areas as part of the state’s multi-agency severe weather response effort in the wake of Hurricane Hermine. The Guard received seven mission taskings to support local officials with possible evacuation of citizens and transportation of first responders through high water. With Virginia escaping any significant impacts from the severe weather, the Guard returned to routine operations late in the day Sept. 4... MORE

116th MET supports multinational training event in U.K.
August 5, 2016 — Eleven members of the 116th Military Engagement Team traveled to the northeastern corner of England, to the British Army’s Stanford Training Area, for Steppe Eagle 16 During the final weeks of July 2016... MORE

Task Force Normandy Soldiers return to Virginia after federal active duty
July 27, 2016 — The last groups of Soldiers assigned to the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as Task Force Normandy, returned to Virginia July 27, 2016, after serving on federal active duty since September 2015. More than 450 Soldiers from units based in Winchester, Woodstock, Leesburg and Suffolk provided security for installations in the U.S. Army’s Central Command area of operations in Qatar with just 90 days notice for the mission. The first groups of Soldiers returned to Virginia July 19... MORE

Red Dragons take over security mission in Qatar
July 13, 2016 — Two Virginia Army National Guard units charged with the responsibility for security at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, conducted a Relief In Place/Transfer of Authority ceremony July 11, 2016. Soldiers from the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Red Dragons, assumed responsibility for the mission from the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as Task Force Normandy... MORE

Va. National Guard personnel assist flood response operations in Alleghany, Botetourt counties
June 25, 2016 — The Virginia National Guard activated 20 Soldiers with Humvees and light/medium tactical trucks to assist with flood response operations in Alleghany and Botetourt counties June 24, 2016, after the Governor of Virginia declared a state of emergency the night before. Soldiers from the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team quickly responded and were on location and ready for duty within 12 hours of the start of alert notifications... MORE

Va. National Guard personnel assist flood response operations in Alleghany and Botetourt counties

116th IBCT Soldiers demonstrate training proficiency during AT
June 22, 2016 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team demonstrated a high level of proficiency that met and exceeded expectations for their “ready year” during annual training June 4-18, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. With two battalions on federal mobilization and multiple companies having conducted training center rotations earlier in the year, the brigade had a smaller footprint on the ground at Fort Pickett, but all of those Soldiers demonstrated they would have been ready to go if called... MORE

Smith takes command of 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team
June 6, 2016 — Col. E. Scott Smith takes command of the Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Col. William J. Coffin June 5, 2016, in a traditional change of command ceremony at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Virginia National Guard’s Assistant Adjutant General – Army, presided over the exchange of unit colors that represented the transfer of command from Coffin to Smith... MORE

Family, friends, senior leaders bid farewell to the Red Dragons
May 18, 2016 — Senior leaders from state government and the Virginia National Guard, family, friends and fellow Soldiers bid farewell to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at multiple departure events May 14-16, 2016... MORE

Transfer of Authority Ceremony held for 116th MET
May 11, 2016 — Soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard’s 30th Military Engagement Team transferred authority to the Virginia National Guard’s 116th Military Engagement Team in a ceremony held May 8, 2016, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait... MORE

Va. Soldiers take first place at 37th BEB Sapper Stakes competition
May 10, 2016 — A squad of Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fredericksburg-based 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 116th IBCT took first place in the Sapper Stakes competition conducted by the Fort Bragg, North Carolina-based 37th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division May 7, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The team navigated multiple stations including emplacement of a wire obstacle, leadership reaction course, obstacle course, rope bridge urban breach and M4 rifle qualification. A total of 18 teams took part in the competition, and the Virginia Guard engineers completed the course in seven hours and five minutes, 14 minutes ahead of the second place team. Soldiers from the 116th BSTB joined engineers from the 37th BEB for numerous training opportunities at Fort Pickett that was part of an ongoing partnership between the two units... MORE

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