Virginia National Guard

Task Force St. Lo Soldiers complete Operation Immediate Response 24 in Czech Republic
June 10, 2024 — Nearly 800 Virginia, Kentucky and West Virginia National Guard Soldiers conducted annual training in May 2024 in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic as part of Operation Immediate Response 24, a sub-component exercise of STEADFAST DEFENDER 24... MORE

Top VNG Soldier’s journey from Scout Platoon to regional recognition
May 31, 2024 — Sgt. Carter Cooper, an infantryman assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was named the region’s top Soldier May 10, 2024, after representing the Virginia Army National Guard at the Region II Best Warrior Competition in Maryland. The competition ran for four days and included Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. ... MORE

116th’s Cooper takes top Soldier honors at Region Il BWC
May 14, 2024 — Sgt. Carter Cooper, a Virginia Army National Guard infantry Soldier assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, took top honors in the Soldier category of the National Guard Bureau Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 6-10, 2024... MORE

116th IBCT’s Cooper, 329th’s Bradner are VaARNG best warriors
March 22, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers representing the Staunton-based 116th infantry Brigade Combat Team and the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regional Support Group claimed top honors at the 2024 Virginia Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition March 14 - 17, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. ... MORE

From Marine to Guard, a Red Dragon sniper’s journey across continents
February 26, 2024 — Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson’s journey into the military began with a casual invitation from a friend to go “hang out” at the local U.S. Marine Corps recruiting station. His friend had just joined the Marine Corps Reserve and, at 18, Johnson didn’t even really know what a Marine was. He’d just graduated high school and said, “I wasn’t really doing anything.” When the recruiter asked if he wanted to blow stuff up, Johnson said yes, and enlisted as a combat engineer... MORE

VNG NCO qualifies as Ranger Instructor, serves as RTAC cadre
February 9, 2024 — Sgt. Daniel Leikin joined the Virginia Army National Guard in 2020, just a few months after graduating from high school. In the less than four years since then, he’s been busy. He completed his initial training as an infantryman, then Ranger School, deployed with Task Force Red Dragon and then earned himself a stack of badges to go along with his tab, completing both Air Assault and Airborne School, and earning his Expert Infantryman Badge. It’s his most recent accomplishment though, that he’s the proudest of... MORE

116th Infantry Regiment holds 55th Annual Muster on Veterans Day
November 29, 2023 — Veterans of the 116th Infantry Regiment and Soldiers of the Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team gathered to honor the unit’s history and enjoy an evening of camaraderie at the 55th annual 116th Infantry Regiment Muster Nov. 11, 2023, in Staunton, Virginia. Congressman Ben Cline and Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, both delivered remarks and Col. Jared Lake, commander of the 116th IBCT, provided an update on the brigade’s activities over the last year. ... MORE

Native name inspires strength, pride for 1-116th platoon leader
November 21, 2023 — First Lt. Gavin Steel traces his Native American heritage through the bloodlines of both his maternal and paternal grandmothers. His maternal grandmother comes from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located today in Western North Carolina. On the paternal side, his grandmother comes from the Coharie Indian Tribe, today located in the southeastern region of North Carolina... MORE

Red Dragon shooters compete in Finnish sniper championship
September 5, 2023 — Three Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team competed in HÄYHÄ 2023, a Finnish Sniper Championship, held Aug. 25-27, near Taipalsaari, Finland. ... 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

116th IBCT NCO Earns EIB with the Old Guard
June 11, 2023 — Staff Sgt. Alex Miller, assigned to the Virginia National Guard’s Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team earned the coveted Expert Infantryman Badge in March during testing with the Fort Meyer-based 3rd Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia. He was the only Soldier from the 116th IBCT to participate in the testing. ... MORE

Staff Sgt. Alex Miller, assigned to the Virginia National Guard’s Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, receives his Expert Infantryman Badge. (Courtesy photo)

VNG public affairs NCO named Army Military Photographer of the Year
April 5, 2023 — The Army Chief of Public Affairs announced Virginia National Guard’s Staff Sgt. Jeff Clements as the Military Photographer of the Year during the 2022 Department of the Army Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware award announcements April 14, 2023. ... MORE

VNG public affairs NCO named Military Photographer of the Year

1-116th NCO named top enlisted graduate at Ranger School
March 7, 2023 — After months of grueling effort, Staff Sgt. Matthew Dawson, a sniper team leader in the Virginia Army National Guard, completed Ranger School, earned the coveted Ranger Tab and was named the enlisted honor graduate for his Ranger School course. Dawson started Ranger School with 328 other Soldiers, graduated as one of 71 to avoid a recycle and was one of only three National Guard Soldiers to graduate with his class of 125 total graduates. Dawson’s father, who earned his own tab in 1990, was there to congratulate his son and pin his tab Jan. 27, 2023, at Fort Benning, Georgia... MORE

Staff Sgt. Matthew Dawson graduates Ranger School as the enlisted honor graduate during a ceremony held jan. 27, 2023, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Dawson is assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a sniper team leader and completed Ranger School immediately following his deployment to the Horn of Africa as a sniper team leader. (Courtesy photo)

Alpha Co. Soldiers honored at Bedford Welcome Home Parade
February 13, 2023 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Bedford-based Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were honored for their federal active duty service in Africa at a welcome home parade hosted by the Bedford Boys Tribute Center Feb. 11, 2023, in Bedford, Virginia... MORE

Task Force Red Dragon Soldiers recognized for federal active duty in Africa
January 25, 2023 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Red Dragon received the Virginia Governor’s National Service Medal Jan. 21, 2023, at multiple locations across Virginia to recognize their federal active-duty service in Africa from November 2021 through September 2022. ... MORE

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