Virginia National Guard > News - Category Virginia Defense Force

Veterans recognized across the commonwealth
November 14, 2018 — Virginia National Guard personnel took part in Veterans Day observations across the commonwealth Nov. 10-12, 2018, to honor all Americans who served and are currently serving in the armed forces as well as commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I. Senior leaders took part in ceremonies with elected officials, and Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force took part in community events where they recognized veterans, sang the national anthem and shared their experiences with school students. Commonwealth ChalleNGe cadets paid tribute to veterans by marching in a parade in Virignia Beach, and the 29th Infantry Division Band performed at events in Roanoke and Bassett... MORE

VDF augments Virginia National Guard support for Hurricane Florence
September 21, 2018 — The Virginia Defense Force brought nearly 50 personnel on state active duty to assist the Virginia National Guard with the statewide response to Hurricane Florence Sept. 9-18, 2018. VDF personnel provided multiple capabilities including interoperable communications, operations center augmentation, operations center liaison, incident management assistance, state-managed shelter logistics and public information... MORE

VDF trains on security tasks, conducts commo exercise with CAP
July 18, 2018 — More than 150 members of the Virginia Defense Force conducted communications and security operations training July 13-15, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The security training focused on a variety of access control scenarios, and the communications training featured a first-ever ground-to-air communications test with the Virginia Civil Air Patrol... MORE

DMA personnel complete Black Belt training
June 4, 2018 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, presented certificates to 12 Virginia Department of Military Affairs personnel who completed Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training May 18, 2018, in Richmond, Virginia. Along with 13 personnel who completed Green Belt training in March, this cadre of LSS practitioners will go to work looking at ways to improve efficiencies, reduce waste and increase readiness across the Virginia National Guard. LSS is a scientific method used for identifying waste and driving out variation in business processes. Four personnel from outside Virginia also completed the training... MORE

Vigilant Guard exercise prepares Virginia National Guard, partners for hurricane season
May 12, 2018 — More than 2,000 National Guard personnel from six states and Washington, D.C., took part in the Vigilant Guard 18-3 emergency response exercise May 7-10, 2018, at multiple locations in Virginia. The goal of the exercise was to improve response to a natural disaster and enhance relationships with local, state and federal emergency response partners. It simulated a Category 4 hurricane making landfall in Virginia and exercised how the Virginia National Guard would assist in the state’s response with a full mobilization of personnel and coordination to bring in additional National Guard capabilities to help the state’s response effort... MORE

VDF supports local law enforcement at Winchester festival
May 7, 2018 — Members of the Virginia Defense Force operated traffic control points and provided mission command support May 4-5, 2018, at the 91st Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia. Members of the all-volunteer VDF from units across the state assisted local law enforcement in keeping traffic moving and operated more than 50 TCPs during a variety of events over the two days. The VDF also took advantage of the mission to train on multiple communication systems and rehearse administrative, mission command and logistics procedures they would use if they were called to state active duty to augment the Virginia National Guard... MORE

VDF plans to expand capabilities, continue building partnerships
April 7, 2018 — The Virginia Defense Force is making plans to expand its capabilities and continue to build partnerships in order to better support their fellow Virginians. The all-volunteer reserve of the Virginia National Guard is looking to grow from its current strength of approximately 300 personnel to its full authorized strength of 750, add additional mission sets and continue discussions with organizations such as the Civil Air Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for training and exercise opportunities... MORE

VDF trains on individual skills, professional development
March 21, 2018 — More than 130 members of the Virginia Defense Force conducted training to improve their individual skills and professional development March 16-18, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. VDF volunteers trained on high frequency radio and mobile communications platform operations, incident management assistance, traffic control and access control and also took part in professional development classes including junior officer and senior noncommissioned officer leader development, property accountability, procurement procedures, officer candidate school and recruiting and retention. Communications support, operations center augmentation and security assistance are some of the many different mission sets the VDF provides as the all-volunteer auxiliary to the Virginia National Guard authorized by the Code of Virginia... MORE

VDF displays capabilities at Coast Guard Auxiliary Conference
February 27, 2018 — Members of the Virginia Defense Force displayed communications capabilities to members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Feb. 24, 2018, in Williamsburg. Virginia. VDF volunteers staffed a recruiting display, deployed a mobile communications platform trailer and presented an information brief to provide better understanding of how the VDF supports the Virginia National Guard’s domestic mission to attendees at the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District Five Southern Region Conference... MORE

VDF kicks off recruiting push at amateur radio convention
February 5, 2018 — The Virginia Defense Force kicked off a new recruiting push with a display at the Frostfest amateur radio show and convention Feb. 3, 2018, in Richmond, Virginia. The all-volunteer reserve of the Virginia National Guard is looking to grow from its current strength of approximately 300 personnel to its full authorized strength of 750... MORE

VDF evaluates response teams across the commonwealth
September 24, 2017 — Virginia Defense Force response teams deploy to multiple locations in the commonwealth Sept. 23, 2017, for Purple Guardian 2017 MayHem, an exercise designed to simulate the support the VDF provides to the Virginia National Guard during state active duty. Teams providing operations center augmentation, high frequency radio communications and incident management assistance as well as mobile communication platform trailers were deployed to Fort Pickett, Sandston, Lynchburg and Culpeper for a scenario-driven evaluation of personnel and equipment to include set up and exercise of organic communications equipment... MORE

Virginia Defense Force evaluates communication platforms
July 8, 2017 — The Virginia Defense Force conducted an operational readiness evaluation on the Mobile Communication Platforms it would use during emergency response operations in support of the Virginia National Guard July 8, 2017, in Lynchburg, Virginia. VDF teams were evaluated on their ability to move MCPs from their home station to a duty location, put them into operation and make contact using voice and data with a remote location. MCPs stationed in Bedford, Lynchburg, Pulaski and Richmond took part in the evaluation and established voice and data connections with the Virginia National Guard’s Joint Operations Center in Sandston, Virginia... MORE

VDF continues to test communications capabilities
June 5, 2017 — Members of the Virginia Defense Force continued to test their communications capabilities June 3, 2017, at locations across the state. In addition to exercising their internal networks, they also took part in the State Defense Force “United Resolve 17-1” where they established communications with the New York State Guard... MORE

Cake cutting ceremony recognizes 410th birthday of Va. National Guard, Jamestown
May 12, 2017 — A cake cutting ceremony to recognize the 410th birthday of the Virginia National Guard and Jamestown was held May 12, 2017, Sandston, Virginia. The Virginia Guard traces the heritage and traditions of Citizen-Soldier and Citizen-Airmen service to the founding of Jamestown when Capt. John Smith organized the colonists for defense. Since the colony’s founding on May 14, 1607, there has not been a day since without a military presence in Virginia to defend freedom at home and overseas... MORE

VDF volunteers keep traffic moving at Winchester festival
May 7, 2017 — Members of the Virginia Defense Force operate traffic control points and provide mission command support May 5, 2017, at the 90th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia. More than 90 members of the all-volunteer VDF from units across the state assisted local law enforcement in keeping traffic moving and operated as many as 59 TCPs during a variety of events May 5 and 6. The VDF also took advantage of the mission to train on multiple communication systems and rehearse administrative, mission command and logistics procedures they would use if they were called to state active duty to augment the Virginia National Guard... MORE

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