Virginia National Guard

Virginia Army National Guard strengthens retention with aviation experience
December 16, 2024 — Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team participated in retention flights Dec. 7, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia... MORE

Red Dragons hone their sling load skills during drill weekend
December 9, 2024 — Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted sling load training Dec. 7, 2024, at Blackstone Army Airfield in Blackstone, Virginia... MORE

VNG’s Counterdrug Task Force supports Red Ribbon Week events
November 22, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers joined local, state and federal agencies to help educate and reinforce the importance of a drug-free lifestyle in schools and communities during Red Ribbon Week events at schools across central Virginia Oct. 24-30, 2024. ... MORE

VNG gearing up for Milton, winding down Helene support
October 9, 2024 — The Virginia National Guard is gearing up Oct. 9, 2024, to support Florida as they prepare for the expected impacts of Hurricane Milton while it winds down Hurricane Helene support in Virginia... MORE

Virginia National Guard Black Hawk helicopter headed to Florida
October 8, 2024 — A Virginia National Guard Black Hawk helicopter crew and members of the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team deployed from Sandston, Virginia, to Florida Oct. 8, 2024, to provide support for expected impacts of Hurricane Milton... MORE

VNG aviation crews depart for Hurricane Milton support mission

VNG AASF holds top spot for aviation maintenance readiness
October 7, 2024 — For three years running, the Virginia National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility has ranked first in the nation for equipment readiness. Located in Sandston, Virginia, next to Richmond International Airport, with an auxiliary location at the Chesterfield Executive Airport, the AASF is home to the VNG’s fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters. A dedicated team of around 50 full-time technicians maintains the fleet with just 25 percent of the personnel of a similarly-sized active duty organization, all while also ranking in the top ten nationally for operational tempo... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct air operations training on UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with air crews assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division July 10, 2021, in Pulaski, Virginia. Soldiers who recently graduated from Air Assault and Pathfinder Schools passed along their newly-acquired skills to help build operational knowledge within the unit. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Ritah Daniel)

HART makes first real-world rescues, prepares for Florida mission
October 7, 2024 — After years of intense training and planning, Virginia National Guard aviation crews and Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team members conducted real-world rescue hoists of stranded citizens Sept. 27 and 28, 2024, in and around Abingdon, Virginia... MORE

VNG staged, ready in Abingdon, Roanoke for possible severe weather response operations
September 27, 2024 — The Virginia National Guard staged approximately 20 Soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high mobility transportation Sept. 26, 2024, in the Abingdon area in order to support the response to potential impacts of Hurricane Helene. The VNG also staged two Black Hawk helicopters with transport, damage assessment and rescue hoist capabilities in the Roanoke area... MORE

VNG aviation battalion hosts ESGR Boss Lift
July 1, 2024 — More than 50 civilian employers joined their employees for an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift, hosted by the Virginia National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment June 15, 2024, at their Army Aviation Support Facility near Richmond International Airport in Sandston, Virginia. The event aimed to thank employers for their support while providing them a first-hand look at what their employees experience when in a military duty status. The experience included orientation flights on board the battalion’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, as well as static displays that included weapon systems and various pieces of commonly used equipment. ... MORE

NCO induction ceremony held for 14 new aviation battalion NCOs
June 5, 2024 — The Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division welcomed 14 Soldiers to the noncommissioned officer corps during an NCO Induaction Ceremony held June 1, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia... MORE

VNG full-time avionics team tackles high-flying challenges
April 15, 2024 — Tucked behind a blue door at the Virginia Army National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility is the organization’s avionics section. There, a small group of full-time Soldiers work to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair avionic components and wiring on a fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters... MORE

Virginia National Guard Soldiers conduct maintenance on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter April 2, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The Soldiers are part of the AASF’s avionics shop, which troubleshoots, diagnoses and repairs avionic components and wiring on the VNG’s Black Hawk fleet. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

St. Lo Soldiers conduct air assault during drill weekend
April 12, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers with the Charlottesville-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted aviation training with crews with the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division April 5, 2024, at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Virginia. The Soldiers' family members were invited to attend the training to demonstrate the rigorous routines they undergo when they are away from their families and training... MORE

Army flight school grad follows in father’s footsteps
February 20, 2024 — When Warrant Officer Paul D. Kelly walked across the stage and graduated flight school Feb.8, 2024, his silver wings were not the only thing he took away with him. Also in his tool kit is a sense of connection he found among those who knew and flew with his late father, Col. Paul M. Kelly, a senior Army aviator who served at the National Guard Bureau and Department of the Army Staff levels, who was killed in action when the warrant officer was only nine years old... MORE

BAAF employees honored by Army National Guard
January 10, 2024 — Walter Tisdale was named ARNG Category 1 Airfield Manager of the Year, and John Olson was named Air Traffic Controller of the Year for 2023... MORE

HART practices mountain, cliff rescue at Crabtree Falls
November 15, 2023 — Above a forest aglow with fall’s foliage, the blades of Virginia National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters sliced through the air. Below, first responders from Chesterfield County and Wintergreen looked skyward as rescuers, simulated victims and an emergency litter were hoisted to and from the aircraft as part of a training event focused on cliff and mountain rescue. The training, which took place Oct. 25, 2023, at Crabtree Falls in Nelson County, Virginia, was the most recent training opportunity for Virginia’s Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, or HART, a team comprised of Virginia National Guard flight crews and personnel from the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team. ... MORE

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