Virginia National Guard

Virginia Guard OCS commissions new officers
April 27, 2017 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 60A was dressed to impress at their graduation and commissioning ceremony April 22, 2017, in the auditorium of Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute... MORE

Four officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia Guard's Officer Candidate School receive their commissions April 22, 2017, at Fort Pickett's 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers and leaders. The candidates heard remarks from Brig. Gen. Walter L. Mercer, the Assistant Adjutant General of Virginia, before taking their oath of office, affixing their new rank and receiving their first salute as lieutenants from a member of the enlisted ranks. The candidates completed an eight-week National Guard Bureau Accelerated OCS program at Fort McClellan, Alabama which began in February. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Amanda H. Johnson)

Va. WOCS candidates earn top honors in final training phase
April 19, 2017 — After completing a three-phase program to become warrant officers, 10 Soldiers from Virginia stood amongst more than 70 of their peers April 8, 2017, in a ceremony to mark their successful completion of Warrant Officer Candidate School. The ceremony was held at the Alabama Military Academy at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Among the nine graduates from Virginia, most of whom serve in the Virginia National Guard, one was named distinguished honor graduate, two placed on the commandants list and one earned top marks for her physical fitness prowess... MORE

Rappel masters help ChalleNGe cadets overcome fears
April 11, 2017 — Rappel masters of the Fort Pickett-based 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute helped candidates from the Commonwealth ChalleNGe rappel down a 40-foot tower April 8, 2017, at Fort Story, Virginia... MORE

183rd RTI earns “Institute of Excellence” status from TRADOC evaluation
November 15, 2016 — The Virginia National Guard’s Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute has been awarded “Institute of Excellence” status by U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and evaluated as full accredited, according to a memorandum dated Nov. 9, 2016, from Gen. David G. Perkins, commander of TRADOC... MORE

183rd RTI hosts open house, demonstrates capabilities
September 24, 2016 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute demonstrated their capabilities during an open house Sept. 24, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. RTI’s mission is to provide transition training in the infantry, transportation and military police career management fields as directed by the One Army School System, as well as operate the state’s officer and warrant officer commissioning schools... MORE

Virginia Guard marksmen excel at regional, international shooting competitions
August 30, 2016 — A team of Virginia National Guard shooters were recognized as some of the best in the 2016 Marksmanship Advisory Council Region II Regional Marksmanship Sustainment Exercise in both the rifle and pistol competitions Aug. 25-28, 2016, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania... MORE

Zollar takes command of 183rd RTI
June 27, 2016 — Col. James A. Zollar takes command of the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute from Col. Thomas L. Morgan, III, June 26, 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 Morgan to Zollar... MORE

Candidates, cadre, graduates celebrate OCS 58th birthday
April 26, 2016 — RICHMOND, Va. — Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrated its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action... MORE

Officer candidates, graduates and cadre of the Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidate School celebrate its 58th birthday with a ceremony April 19, 2016, at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College’s Downtown Campus in Richmond, Virginia. Officer candidates in Class 58, who are scheduled to graduate in August 2016, organized the ceremony, which included the family of Capt. Harry Q. Rose, a graduate of Class VIII who was killed in Vietnam in 1969 and remains the only Virginia OCS graduate to have been killed in action. (Photo by Master Sgt. A.J. Coyne, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Rep. Brat visits, tours Fort Pickett
April 7, 2016 — Rep. Dave Brat visited the Virginia National Guard’s Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center March 31, 2016. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Lt. Col. Preston Scott, Fort Pickett garrison commander, provided an overview of the installation and its capabilities, then escorted Brat on a tour of the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute and the Fort Pickett virtual training facility. “It was a pleasure to learn about how these brave men serve,” Brat said on Facebook... MORE

116th IBCT welcomes a diverse group of new leaders
September 24, 2015 — Ten of the freshly-minted second lieutenants from Virginia National Guard Officer Candidate School Class 57 will report to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to begin their officer careers after their commissioning ceremony held Aug. 22, 2015, at Fort Pickett, Va... MORE

Second Lt. Erin Noble is one of ten new lieutenants joining the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team after receiving their commissions from Virginia National Guard Officer Candidate School Aug. 22, 2015, at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute.

8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) Soldiers learn leadership, tactics and teamwork
September 3, 2015 — Psychological Operations specialists from 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) recently graduated the U.S. Army Light Leaders Course at Fort Pickett, Va. The 14-day course, conducted by the Virginia National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 183rd Infantry Regiment’s Regional Training Institute, focuses on teaching back-to-basics infantry skills to non-commissioned officers... MORE

Va. Guard OCS commissions 17 new officers
August 26, 2015 — FORT PICKETT, Va. – In a ceremony held Aug. 22, 2015, 17 officer candidates enrolled in Class 57 of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School received their commissions in a traditional graduation ceremony held at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute. The ceremony marked the end of an almost two year journey for the candidates as they took their oaths of office, received their OCS diplomas and their second lieutenant bars and received their first salute as new officers... MORE

Seventeen officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School receive their commissions and graduate from OCS Aug. 22, 2015, at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends and Virginia Army National Guard senior leaders. (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti, Virginia National Guard Public Affairs)

Va. Guard officer candidates hold on to history
April 22, 2015 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Expecting a lecture filled with monotonous slides and a never-ending list of historic dates and names, the officer candidates of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School of the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, walked into Col. Thomas L. Morgan’s military history class April 19, 2015, and quickly discovered that this wasn’t going to be like any other class. The candidates of Class 57 found tables with dozens of museum quality rifles, knives and glass boxes filled with various buttons and uniform insignias. ... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard Officer Candidates hold history in their hands during a military history course April 19, 2015, at the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute. Taught by Col. Thomas L. Morgan III, commander of the 183rd Regional Training Institute, the class included demonstrations on the loading and operating procedures for dozens of Civil-War era rifles and pistols, and displays of Civil War artifacts from the personal collections of Morgan and his father, Thomas L. Morgan Jr. After the classroom portion of the course, the candidates were able to pick and examine the pieces for a closer look. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Miko M. Skerrett, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

183rd RTI trains military police officers
April 7, 2015 — U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers from across the country completed the 31B Basic Military Police Officer course April 4, 2015, after more than 254 hours of training at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute. The MP course included two, two-week phases and allowed 11 Soldiers to earn the 31B Military Police Officer military occupational specialty... MORE

Virginia Guard OCS graduates 7 new officers
October 2, 2014 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — In a ceremony held Sept. 27, 2014, seven officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Class 57B earned their commissions at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends and Virginia National Guard leaders and Soldiers. The candidates started the 56-day summer accelerated program in July and completed the course in early September... MORE

Seven officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia Guard’s Officer Candidate School receive their commissions and grade from OCS Sept. 27, 2014, at Fort Pickett’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers and leaders. The Soldiers were part of Class 57B, and successfully completed the summer accelerated OCS program which began in July. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Terra C. Gatti, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)

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