Virginia National Guard

VNG Soldiers conduct close-quarters battle exchange in Tajikistan
April 22, 2025 — Four Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers conducted a close-quarters battle exchange with members of the Tajik military April 7 - 11, 2025, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan... MORE

329th RSG’s Warren, 116th IBCT’s Garner tops at Best Warrior Competition
March 21, 2025 — Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 329th Regional Support Group and the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team took top honors at the 2025 VaARNG Best Warrior Competition March 13-16, 2025, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. ... MORE

Red Dragons conduct infantry exchange in Finland
January 9, 2025 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted an infantry exchange with Finnish Defense Forces Nov. 16 - 24, 2024, in Finland. ... MORE

Virginia Army National Guard strengthens retention with aviation experience
December 16, 2024 — Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team participated in retention flights Dec. 7, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia... MORE

Red Dragons hone their sling load skills during drill weekend
December 9, 2024 — Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted sling load training Dec. 7, 2024, at Blackstone Army Airfield in Blackstone, Virginia... MORE

Red Dragon snipers showcase strength, skill at Finnish Sniper Championship
November 5, 2024 — For the third consecutive year, snipers from the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team traveled to Finland to compete against their international peers at the HÄYHÄ 2024 Sniper Shooting Championship. Three Red Dragon snipers - Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson, Sgt. James O’Connell and Spc. Jonathan Farrar - competed Sept. 20-22, 2024, at a training site near Imatra, Finland... MORE

Staff Sgt. Joshua Johnson, Sgt. James O’Connell, and Spc. Jonathan Farrar pose together competiting together in the HÄYHÄ 2024 Sniper Shooting Championship Sept. 20-22, 2024, in Finland. (Courtesy Photo)

116th IBCT provides OPFOR support for JRTC rotation
August 30, 2024 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team provided opposing force support during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation 24-09 July 8 - Aug. 3, 2024, at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. ... MORE

116th IBCT Soldiers provide opposing force at JRTC

Cooper's journey of grit and growth at ARNG's Best Warrior Competition
August 27, 2024 — For five arduous days, Sgt. Carter Cooper, one of the top National Guard Soldiers in the nation, tackled challenge after challenge at the 2024 Army National Guard Best Warrior Competition, held Aug. 4-8, 2024, at the Ethan Allen Firing Range near Jericho, Vermont. Cooper was one of 14 competitors culled from the nation’s seven regions... MORE

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

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