Virginia National Guard

VNG Soldier takes gold at World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship
July 25, 2022 — Pvt. Braylon Manuel won gold at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s World Jiu-Jitsu No-Gi Championship two years in a row, earning the top spot in both 2021 and 2022. Manuel will be assigned to the Virginia National Guard's 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team following his initial entry training... MORE

Va. Beach native first female cav scout in VNG
April 4, 2022 — After 22 weeks of intense training at Fort Benning, Georgia, Pfc. Noor Habr became the first woman in the Virginia Army National Guard to earn the 19D Cavalry Scout military occupational specialty, or MOS. Habr, an Arab American and native of Virginia Beach, decided to join the National Guard after a recruiter visited her school in 2021. As a senior at Bayside High School, she was trying to figure out what her next step would be after graduation... MORE

116th IBCT Soldiers train on new recoilless rifle system
June 15, 2021 — Virginia and Kentucky National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team trained on the M3E1 Multi-purpose Anti-armor Anti-personnel Weapon System during a course held at Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett’s New Equipment Training / New Equipment Fielding facility June 1 - 11, 2021, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

116th IBCT leads task force of 12 states at PI59
January 27, 2021 — WASHINGTON, DC — The Virginia National Guard’s 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team took a lead role in the security of the 59th Presidential Inauguration, commanding a task force of more than 7,400 Soldiers and Airmen from 12 different states. The coalition, named Team Capitol, was responsible for maintaining the physical security of the Capitol grounds. On inauguration day, the 116th headquarters served as the operations center to coordinate thousands of Guardsmen lining fences with shields, body armor and rifles... MORE

Cav Soldiers recognize Smithfield VFW for support
September 21, 2020 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Suffolk-based Bravo Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team recognized and thanked members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8545 in Smithfield, Virginia, during a unit awards ceremony Sept. 11, 2020, in Suffolk, Virginia. Bravo Troop and Post 8545 came together under the VFW’s Adopt-a-Unit program. According to the VFW more than 121,000 military and family members are actively supported by VFW Posts and Auxiliaries through the VFW Adopt-a-Unit program... MORE

Gunnery simulators augment Army Guard training
June 19, 2019 — SUFFOLK, Va. – Spc. Erik Murphy, a cavalry scout with the Virginia Army National Guard’s Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, stood in the turret of a Humvee, prepared to engage targets with his M2 .50 caliber machine gun. “Gunner ready,” he said to his truck commander, as they proceeded down a dusty road. Soon enough, the commander called out an approaching target. “Target identified,” Murphy responded. “500 meters.”... MORE

State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach serves as vital training facility for local, state and federal organizations
March 15, 2019 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach serves as a vital training installation, not just for the Virginia National Guard, but for personnel from all four branches of the military, both active duty and reserve, local and state first responders, and a variety of community organizations. Its prime location is just one reason for its popularity however. The facilities and training aides available, as well as the willingness of its staff, make it a vital training location for its customers... MORE

Saber Soldiers provide crew evaluations for active-duty cavalry squadron
January 29, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Virginia National Guard cavalry Soldiers provided vehicle crew evaluators for their active-duty counterparts from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during gunnery training Jan. 15 – 26, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Soldiers assigned to the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provided the evaluation support for the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division as they conducted crew-served gunnery ranges with multiple vehicles and weapons systems... MORE

Virginia Guard indirect fire infantrymen train on new mobile kit for 120mm mortars
September 20, 2017 — Virginia National Guard indirect fire infantrymen trained on the newly-fielded M326 120mm Mortar Stowage Kit, or MSK, and executed fire missions Sept. 16, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The M326 MSK is a trailer-mounted system allowing Soldiers to quickly emplace, fire and stow the fully-assembled, 300-pound 120mm mortar... MORE

116th IBCT conducts EIB testing, focuses on individual skills
August 15, 2017 — After a week of hands-on training, 254 Soldiers began testing for the Expert Infantryman Badge Aug. 6, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. EIB testing was hosted by the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and was a key event in the brigade’s two-week annual training, held July 29 – Aug. 12, 2017... MORE

Saber Soldiers demonstrate superior scouting skills during annual training
August 12, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team competed against each other in a multi-day training and testing event Aug. 6-9, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia... MORE

Va. Guard Soldiers, Airmen awarded for rifle marksmanship excellence
May 22, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen received awards for their outstanding performance during the Adjutant General’s 2017 Rifle Match May 21, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Sixty-five participants competed in a variety of individual and team events May 19-20, hosted by the Fort Pickett-based 3rd Battalion, 183rd Regional Training Institute. The state-level competition included events such as reflexive fire, an urban assault course, and a course for the Army’s Excellence in Competition badge. All Virginia National Guardsmen are welcome to attend, regardless of rank or prior weapon qualification scores, because it is most importantly a training and sustainment event... MORE

Top Va. Guard units recognized at inaugural Virginia Military Ball
April 30, 2017 — Virginia Army and Air National Units were recognized for exceeding standards for readiness at the state and national level and for outstanding mission accomplishment at the inaugural Virginia Military Ball held April 29, 2017, in Richmond, Virginia. Retired Army Col. Roger Donlon, the first person to receive the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War, served as the guest speaker and shared his experiences and personal stories of Soldiers he served with in Vietnam... MORE

Cavalry Soldiers splash through water operations training
April 14, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Virginia Beach-based Charlie Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted Army Combat Water Survival Training and combat rubber raiding craft familiarization April 8-9, 2017, at Virginia Beach, Virginia. The drill weekend focused on individual training tasks and small boat operations... MORE

Infantry Soldiers train for Expert Infantry Badge testing
March 6, 2017 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to multiple units in the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted training on weapons, medical and patrol tasks that are required to earn the Expert Infantryman Badge March 4, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The purpose of the EIB is to recognize Infantrymen who have demonstrated a mastery of critical tasks that build the core foundation of individual proficiency that allow them to locate, close with and destroy the enemy through fire and maneuver and repel an enemy assault through fire and close combat... MORE

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