Virginia National Guard > News - Category Department of Military Affairs

Fort Pickett, partner agencies conduct high-risk rescues
July 16, 2026 — Fort Pickett Fire and Emergency Services personnel, as well as personnel from several other garrison directorates and state and local partner agencies combined forces to execute complex, high-risk rescue operations after several paratroopers became stuck in trees July 10, 2026, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ...

ChalleNGe Class 64 graduates 40 cadets
July 13, 2026 — The Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduated 40 cadets during a ceremony for Class 64 July 2, 2026, at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Retired Army Col. Everton Nevers, Virginia Department of Military Affairs chief of staff, Jen Lanz, director of CCYA, and Jerome Ferrette, the CCYA deputy director, congratulated each of the graduates on completing the five-and-a-half month-long residential portion of the program...

DMA employees at Fort Pickett recognized during appreciation luncheon
June 4, 2026 — Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, Col. Eric Quinn, Fort Pickett garrison commander, and retired Col. Everton E. Nevers, the Virginia Department of Military Affairs Chief of Staff, presented awards to DMA workers during a state employee recognition luncheon May 28, 2026, at Fort Pickett, Virginia...

Virginia National Guard celebrates 419 years of service
May 19, 2026 — The Virginia National Guard celebrated its 419th birthday May 14, 2026, during a ceremony in Richmond, Virginia. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger provided remarks, while retired Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, read aloud the birthday proclamation. ...

Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy hosts Family Day for Class 64
May 19, 2026 — Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy staff, cadets and their families enjoyed Class 64’s Family Day May 9, 2026, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. In addition to spending time with their cadets, family members observed a drill and ceremony demonstration and received the opportunity to meet with CCYA cadre and administrators...

Commonwealth ChalleNGe Class 64 hits the ground running
March 6, 2026 — Class 64 of the of the Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy kicked off Feb. 4, 2026, as 68 candidates arrived for in-processing at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Va. CCYA, the Virginia component of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, is a 29 and a half month program structured in a military-style environment, designed to promote academics, attention to detail, time management, and leadership, while promoting self-esteem, confidence and pride...

Spanberger commends VNG during legislative reception
February 12, 2026 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and alumni attended a legislative reception hosted by the Virginia National Guard Association Feb. 5, 2026, at the Library of Virginia in Richmond...

VNG responds to back-to-back winter weather events
February 3, 2026 — More than 420 Virginia National Guard personnel responded to two winter weather events in the span of a week, staging and answering calls for assistance from regional emergency managers Jan. 23 - February. 1, 2026, in locations across Virginia. ...

VNG staged, ready for second winter storm of 2026
January 31, 2026 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are staged and ready Jan. 31, 2026, primarily in the Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore regions, to support the response to snow expected to impact parts of Virginia...

Virginia National Guard stages for winter weather response
January 24, 2026 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen staged Jan. 24, 2026, at VNG facilities across the Commonwealth to support the response to winter weather impacting Virginia...

Governor-elect Spanberger to reappoint Ring as Adjutant General
January 5, 2026 — Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger will reappoint Maj. Gen. James W. Ring as the Adjutant General of Virginia according to an announcement made Jan. 5, 2026...

Kipling appointed as deputy secretary of veterans and defense affairs
January 5, 2026 — Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger has appointed retired Virginia Army National Guard Col. Lesley Kipling to serve as the deputy secretary of veterans and defense affairs, according to an announcement made Jan. 5, 2025...

DMA recognizes SMR state employees during appreciation event
December 29, 2025 — Brig. Gen. Todd Hubbard, the Virginia National Guard Director of the Joint Staff, retired Col. Everton Nevers, the Virginia Department of Military Affairs Chief of Staff, and Lt. Col. John Crocker, the State Military Reservation commander, recognized and thanked DMA state employees for their hard work and dedication during an employee appreciation luncheon Dec. 19, 2025, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia...

Class 63 cadets graduate from Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy
December 23, 2025 — The Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduated 40 cadets during a ceremony for Class 63 Dec. 18, 2025, at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Col. Jeff Wagstaff, Senior Army Advisor to the Virginia Army National Guard, Jen Lanz, director of Commonwealth ChalleNGe, Jerome Ferrette, the Commonwealth ChalleNGe deputy director, and Juan Guisti, an alumnus of CCYA Class 8 and the guest speaker for the ceremony, congratulated each of the graduates on completing the five-and-a-half month-long residential portion of the program...

Former AG Williams named Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs
December 22, 2025 — Retired Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, who served as the 28th Adjutant General of Virginia, was selected by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to serve as the Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs, according to a news release from the incoming governor’s communications team Dec. 22, 2025. ...

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