Virginia National Guard

VNG NCO reflects on her path from border town to recruiting success
September 24, 2024 — Staff Sgt. Diana Hudson spent her earliest years in a rural Mexican border town. Her family’s home, built from wooden pallets, had a dirt floor and no plumbing. Since then, she’s emigrated to the United States, served in the U.S. Marine Corps, started a family, earned an undergraduate degree and, more recently, became one of the top recruiters in the Virginia Army National Guard... MORE

Staff Sgt. Diana Hudson, center, poses with her mentors, Sgt. 1st Class LaTesse Hall, left, and Sgt. 1st Class Gertha Cleveland, right.

Virginia Army National Guard hosts inaugural Civic Leader Appreciation Day
July 31, 2024 — The Virginia Army National Guard held its inaugural Civic Leader Appreciation Day on July 17, 2024, at the Blackstone Army Airfield near Fort Barfoot, Virginia. Approximately 125 teachers, school administrators, and support staff attended the event, which was hosted by the Virginia Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion... MORE

Fireworks return to Fort Barfoot after 18 years
July 8, 2024 — Fort Barfoot personnel and citizens from across the region attended an Independence Day fireworks celebration July 2, 2024, at the historic Blackstone Army Airfield and Allan C. Perkinson Airport near Blackstone, Virginia... MORE

91st Cyber Brigade hosts students for “capture-the-flag” event
May 29, 2024 — The Virginia National Guard’s 91st Cyber Brigade and Recruiting and Retention Battalion hosted more than 30 students from across Virginia during the inaugural Cyber Fortress 2045 event May 4, 2024, in Fairfax, Virginia. ... MORE

R&R NCO talks leadership, opportunity and guiding the next generation
May 29, 2024 — Sgt. 1st Class Nestor Cordova wasn’t yet serving in the military when someone first thanked him for his service. It was 2011, and he was attending Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and enrolled in the ROTC program there, which required him to sometimes wear a military uniform. ... MORE

VNG hosts ROTC marksmanship match at Fort Barfoot
May 7, 2024 — ROTC cadets from six Virginia universities came together for a marksmanship match hosted by the Virginia National Guard’s Marksmanship Training Unit, as well as the state’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion. The event, held April 19-21, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia, was dubbed the 2024 ROTC College Clash Marksmanship Competition and included 59 cadets from schools including George Mason University, James Madison University, Liberty University, Radford University, Virginia Tech and the Virginia Military Institute... MORE

Virginia recruiters named top in the region after SMAG sweep
December 8, 2023 — Three Virginia Army National Guard recruiters were named top in the region following a meeting of Region II’s Strength Maintenance Advisory Group, or SMAG, Nov. 16, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Sgt. 1st Class David Sanford was named the region’s top recruiting noncommissioned officer, 1st Sgt. Thomas Clarke was named the region’s top section chief, and Staff Sgt. Tyler Voogd was named the top rookie recruiter for 2023. ... MORE

Celebration marks new recruiting storefront in Roanoke
August 15, 2023 — The Virginia Army National celebrated the opening of their new Roanoke-area recruiting storefront with a ribbon cutting and open house Aug. 12, 2023, in Roanoke, Virginia... MORE

First civilian receives payment for VNG Referral Enlistment Program
August 12, 2023 — Michelle Lard received a ceremonial check for $500 as part of her participation in the Virginia National Guard’s Referral Enlistment Program Aug. 6, 2023, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia... MORE

Va. recruiters named runners up at national conference
April 18, 2023 — At the Director of the Army National Guard’s Strength Maintenance Conference, Virginia Army National Guard recruiters came in as runners up for both the top recruiter and top section chief in the nation. Staff Sgt. Sydney Mapp took the second place top recruiter spot, called the Director’s 54, while Master Sgt. Thomas Clarke Jr. took the second place section chief, or Expert 7, spot. Over the last decade, this level of excellence has become the standard for Virginia. ... MORE

Master Sgt. Thomas Clarke Jr. (left); Sgt. Maj. Paul Johnson (center), senior enlisted leader for the Virginia Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion; and Staff Sgt. Sydney Mapp (right) pose together at the Director of the Army National Guard’s Strength Maintenance Conference March 23, 2023, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

229th BEB leaders share Guard experiences with high school students
April 6, 2023 — Leaders from the Virginia National Guard’s Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team partnered with the Virginia Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion to highlight the benefits of National Guard membership during showcase events April 3 and 5, 2023, at Courtland High School and Colonial Forge High School. The event generated three leads for individuals interested in joining the VNG... MORE

VNG referral program now offering $1,000 per enlistment
April 1, 2023 — The Virginia National Guard’s Referral Incentive Program, or REP, is now offering $1,000 to Virginia citizens who help grow the force with qualified leads who successfully enlist into the Virginia Army or Air National Guard. Previously, referral bonuses were capped at $750. ... MORE

Sgt. Edward Hinton receives a ceremonial check for $1,000 as part of his participation in the Virginia National Guard’s Referral Enlistment Program March 18, 2023, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Lt. Col. Emily Huffman, SMR commander, and Maj. Kim Wynn, commander of the Virginia National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion, were on hand to congratulate and thank Hinton for helping grow the force. Hinton, assigned to SMR as an operations noncommissioned officer, worked with area recruiter Staff Sgt. Shawn Bartz to enlist a new recruit into the Virginia Army National Guard as a 09S Commissioned Officer Candidate. Hinton is the first participant to receive payment under the REP, which awards Virginia citizens $1,000 for providing qualified leads to the Virginia National Guard who enlist into the organization. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

VNG recruiter continues family legacy of military service
March 30, 2023 — Military service for the women of Staff Sgt. Naomi Williams’ family has become a tradition. During World War II, Williams’ grandmother, her Nana, served as a truck driver and her mother served in the Navy... MORE

Wynn steps into new role at R&R, stresses fairness, dignity, respect
March 21, 2023 — What first drew Maj. Kim Wynn to military service was the Army uniform of the 1980s and 90s. Catchy “Be All You Can Be” ads were filling the commercial breaks of her TV time, and she thought the Battle Dress Uniform, or BDU, looked pretty good. There was just something about it that she was attracted to and when she started attending Petersburg High School, she participated in Junior ROTC, and then, when she got to Virginia Tech, she decided to join the Virginia Army National Guard. ... MORE

Maj. Kim D. Wynn takes command of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Fort Pickett-based Recruiting and Retention Battalion from Lt. Col. Scott A. Nivens during a ceremony March 3, 2023, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. K. Weedon Gallagher, Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General - Army, presided over the change of command ceremony and the exchange of organizational colors signifying the transfer of command from Nivens to Wynn. (U.S. National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

VNG Soldiers eligible for promotion, recruiting ribbon, $1K bonus for referrals
March 3, 2023 — Helping grow the Virginia Army National Guard recently became an even more lucrative endeavor with the expansion of the ARNG’s Stripes for Buddies program and the announcement of a new Army Recruiting Ribbon. When paired with the VNG’s Referral Enlistment Program, or REP, getting a buddy to enlist could equate to a $1,000 bonus, a promotion up to the rank of specialist or promotion points for sergeants and staff sergeants, and the award of the Army Recruiting Ribbon... MORE

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