Virginia National Guard

Air Assault & Pathfinder Schools held at Fort Pickett
September 5, 2018 — It was “Zero Day” of Air Assault School, Aug. 7, 2018, and for most of the 270 Soldiers gathered at Fort Pickett, their reason for being there was simple: They wanted to prove something... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard welcomes 14 new lieutenants
August 28, 2018 — The Virginia Army National Guard welcomed 14 new lieutenants to its ranks with the commissioning of Officer Candidate School Class 60 and 61B Aug. 25, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Class 60 was the traditional OCS program that runs nearly two years and taught by a cadre from the Fort Pickett-based 3rd Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, and Class 61B was the eight-week Accelerated OCS program at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The ceremony marked the end of the journey for the candidates as they took their oaths of office, received their OCS diplomas and their second lieutenant bars and delivered their first salute as new officers... MORE

The Virginia Army National Guard welcomes 14 new lieutenants to its ranks with the commissioning of Officer Candidate School Class 60 and 61B Aug. 25, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Class 60 was the traditional OCS program that runs nearly two years and taught by a cadre from the Fort Pickett-based 3rd Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, and Class 61B was the eight-week Accelerated OCS program at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The ceremony marked the end of a journey for the candidates as they took their oaths of office, received their OCS diplomas and their second lieutenant bars and delivered their first salute as new officers. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Matt Lyman)

Virginia Soldiers, Airmen awarded for marksmanship excellence
June 27, 2018 — Sixty-four Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen participated in this year’s Adjutant General’s State Pistol Match, held June 22-24, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The event, hosted by the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, had shooters split into 16 teams of four to test their marksmanship skills against some of the best shooters in the state and the nation. On Sunday, the top shooters gathered at the RTI for an awards ceremony that recognized the year’s top team and individual competitors... MORE

Hubbard takes command of 183rd RTI
June 26, 2018 — Col. Todd Hubbard took command of the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute from Col. James A. Zollar June 24, 2018, in a traditional change of command ceremony held at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, Assistant Adjutant General – Army for the Virginia National Guard, presided over the guidon exchange that signified the transfer of command from Zollar to Hubbard... MORE

Virginia warrant officers take top honors at final WOCS phase
June 3, 2018 — The third and final phase of reserve component Warrant Officer Candidate School brings together National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve candidates from across the nation for two weeks of training. In April, Virginia’s candidates joined 40 of their peers at Fort McClellan in Alabama where they distinguished themselves as some of the best in the nation. On April 21, 2018, all eight of the warrant officer candidates enrolled in Class 18-001 of the Virginia National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School graduated WOCS and became warrant officers. In May, the eight returned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and were recognized for their outstanding success at WOCS. ... MORE

Virginia Soldiers & Airmen compete in state rifle match
May 31, 2018 — cattered storms and heavy rain made way for a wet and muddy two-day marksmanship competition. Fifty-seven Soldiers and Airmen from the Virginia National Guard participated in the Adjutant General’s 2018 Rifle Match May 18-19, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia.The annual event is open to all Army and Air National Guard members across the state of... MORE

Officer candidates prep for final phase of OCS
May 7, 2018 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Officer candidates from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., spent a long weekend in May preparing for the third and final phase of Officer Candidate School during a regional Field Level Exercise held May 4-6, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

Approximately 30 National Guard officer candidates from Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., train together during a regional Field Level Exercise May 5, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise aimed to prepare the candidates for the third and final phase of Office Candidate School, which they will attend later this summer. (U.S. National Guard photo by Terra C. Gatti)

Officer candidates prep for final phase of OCS
May 7, 2018 — Officer candidates from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., spent a long weekend in May preparing for the third and final phase of Officer Candidate School during a regional Field Level Exercise held May 4-6, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

Virginia National Guard commissions four new officers
May 2, 2018 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The Virginia National Guard welcomed four newly-commissioned second lieutenants to its ranks April 29, 2018, during a commissioning ceremony held at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The new lieutenants were all graduates of the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 61A. ... MORE

Second Lt. Abando A. Nkwanyou receives his lieutenant bars during a commissioning ceremony held April 29, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

Virginia National Guard commissions four new officers
May 2, 2018 — The Virginia National Guard welcomed four newly-commissioned second lieutenants to its ranks April 29, 2018, during a commissioning ceremony held at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The new lieutenants were all graduates of the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 61A... MORE

Top Virginia National Guard units, individuals recognized at Virginia Military Ball
April 30, 2018 — Virginia National Guard senior leaders recognized the top company-level units in the Virginia Army National Guard for high levels of readiness at the second annual Virginia Military Ball April 28, 2018, in Norfolk, Virginia. Outstanding Soldiers and Airmen were also recognized at an awards reception before the ball, as were Army units earning the Excellence in Training award... MORE

National Guard infantrymen complete final challenge of ALC
March 25, 2018 — “Conducting a full raid on a village with a helicopter, that’s hard to beat,” said Sgt. Dexter Whitten, an Indiana National Guardsman enrolled in the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute’s Infantry Advanced Leaders Course. Together with more than 30 of his classmates, Whitten watched as four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters approached March 19, 2018, and landed in the Fort Pickett field in front of them. The aircraft, flown by Soldiers assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, were there in support of course’s culminating event, a raid on one of Fort Pickett’s villages... MORE

Virginia marksmen earn honors at national marksmanship match
March 24, 2018 — More than 200 shooters competed in the 2018 U.S. Army Small Arms Championships at Fort Benning, Georgia, March 11-18, 2018, including four Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard. The competition, commonly referred to as the “All-Army” match, including active duty, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from across the country, divided into 37 teams... MORE

WOCs team up with Hanover Habitat for Humanity for outreach project
March 1, 2018 — Warrant Officer Candidates assigned to Class 18-001 of the Virginia National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School, taught at the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, linked up with a crew from Hanover Habitat for Humanity, Feb. 24, 2018, to complete a community project in Mechanicsville, Virginia. ... MORE

Virginia hosts first Crew-Served Weapons Course at Fort Pickett
September 19, 2017 — Instructors assigned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute taught Virginia’s first-ever Crew-Served Weapons Course Sept. 11-15, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Twenty-eight Soldiers from units across the state attended the course, which focused on the M249 light machine gun and the M240B machine gun while aiming to improve machine gun proficiency across the force. ... MORE

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