Virginia National Guard

VNG celebrates 18 new OCS graduates
October 14, 2022 — The Virginia Army National Guard welcomed 18 officer candidates from Officer Candidate School classes 64, 65A and 65B during a ceremony held Sept. 18, 2022, at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

Eighteen officer candidates enrolled in the Virginia Army National Guard’s Officer Candidate School traditional and accelerated program celebrate their OCS graduation Sept. 18, 2022 at a ceremony held at Fort Pickett’s 183rdRegiment, Regional Training Institute in front of family, friends, fellow Soldiers and leaders. The graduation included candidates from OCS Class 64, as well as 65A and 65B. Retired Col. Fred Bolton served as the guest speaker for the event and Lt. Col. Eric Quinn administered the oath of office to the new lieutenants. The Troutville-based 29th Division Band provided ceremonial music for the occasion. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Lisa M. Sadler)

Virginia National Guard installation, brigade and battalion command selections announced
September 28, 2022 — The Adjutant General of Virginia announced officers who have been selected for command in the Virginia National Guard at the instillation, brigade and battalion level... MORE

VNG aviators lead KFOR aerial firefighting success
August 18, 2022 — Aviation Soldiers assigned to Kosovo Force’s Regional Command-East have been working hand in hand since arriving in the region to enhance their aerial firefighting capabilities... MORE

KFOR 30’s Training Leads to Aerial Firefighting Success

KFOR MedEvac team crosses borders to save lives
June 14, 2022 — When the term MedEvac is mentioned, the thought of injured Soldiers being carried by stretcher and loaded onto Black Hawk helicopters is often the first thought to come to mind. However, a much different story recently played for one Kosovo Force aircrew who was called out to the rugged landscape of Albania’s northern mountain range... MORE

Maintenance key to Black Hawk helicopters’ ability to accomplish mission in Kosovo
May 13, 2022 — U.S. Army helicopter repairers and maintainers play a critical role in keeping aviation assets flying through routine upkeep and conducting on-the-spot repairs, keeping helicopters safe and ready to fly in hundreds of Army missions... MORE

State leaders, CoDel reps visit AASF
May 3, 2022 — Robert Mosier, the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Eric Moeller, the Virginia Chief Transformation Officer, along with representatives from Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office and the Virginia Congressional Delegation, visited the Virginia National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility April 21, 2022, in Sandston, Virginia. ... MORE

Virginia National Guard officer talks motivation, training to become Army aviator
May 2, 2022 — Virginia National Guard 1st Lt. Jonathan Murray, deployed to Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, is the medical evacuations, or MEDEVAC, operations officer for Kosovo Force Regional Command- East and is living his dream of flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. ... MORE

VNG aviators capitalize on Black Hawk capabilities during Kosovo mission
April 14, 2022 — Over the years, the iconic Army utility helicopter has been used in numerous applications, including its use as a troop transport, assisting with extinguishing wildfires and rapidly transporting injured personnel via medical evacuation... MORE

Virginia National Guard aviators capitalize on Black Hawk helicopter capabilities during Kosovo mission

VNG Soldiers awarded Va. Governor’s National Service Medal
February 23, 2022 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to multiple units recently received the Virginia Governor’s National Service Medal in recognition of their service during a federal active duty mobilization in 2021. ... MORE

2-224th Aviation Regiment mobilizes to KFOR
February 14, 2022 — Soldiers and aviators of 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, Virginia Army National Guard, successfully conducted their mobilization and final readiness checks for their deployment to the Republic of Kosovo... MORE

VNG brigade HQs, aviation battalion begin mission to Kosovo
January 12, 2022 — The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters officially began federal active duty Jan. 5, 2022, to take responsibility for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, and the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division started their mobilization as their aviation task force Jan. 2... MORE

VNG NCO reflects on 20 years of service in Counterdrug Program
December 9, 2021 — First Sgt. Brian Wright’s career in the Virginia National Guard’s Counterdrug Program started with a 75-day order that started July 23, 2001. He was a sergeant then, with about a decade of service in a handful of units across the state. He’d spotted a listing for a budget analyst at his armory and figured it might be an interesting opportunity. Twenty years later, he’s the senior enlisted advisor for the program, has served under 11 Counterdrug coordinators and established himself as a competent, reliable source of continuity and expertise... MORE

VNG aviators train fire-fighting skills before KFOR deployment
October 19, 2021 — With an upcoming deployment to Kosovo, Virginia Army National Guard flight crews took to the skies of Chesterfield, Virginia, to certify their ability to fight fires with massive water buckets Oct. 12, 2021. The buckets are capable of picking up and hauling nearly 6,000 pounds of water, which can then be flown to the site of a wildfire and dropped to assist with fire-fighting efforts on the ground. ... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard flight crews conduct water bucket training with UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters Oct. 12, 2021, at a training area in Chesterfield, Virginia. Aviation assets can support fire-fighting efforts with the use of water buckets, which require periodic training for flight crews in order to ensure equipment proficiency. These Soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Kosovo with the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division in early 2022, where fire-fighting capabilities may be needed. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

Virginia Army Guard pilot continues family’s aeronautical legacy
October 15, 2021 — When Chief Warrant Officer 3 Darrell Busquets joined the military, it was an enlisted engineer. Since then, he’s trained as an infantryman, deployed as a combat engineer, and earned his wings as an Army aviator. Today, he’s the battalion standardization pilot for the Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. ... MORE

VNG brigade HQs, aviation battalion will deploy to Kosovo
August 26, 2021 — The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters will mobilize for federal active duty in early January 2022 to take responsibility for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, and the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division will mobilize as their aviation task force according to an announcements made Aug. 13 and 23, 2021, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia... MORE

1-169th conducts medical evacuation training during AT

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