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Combined arms LFX marks milestone for 183rd RTI infantry training
August 12, 2025 — At the Virginia Army National Guard’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, the infantry-focused 1st Battalion is putting the “train as you fight” mindset into action. In a first for any National Guard schoolhouse across the 54 states and territories, they ran three military occupational specialty transition courses at once, bringing together Soldiers working toward the 11B Infantryman and 11C Indirect Fire Infantryman MOS for more realistic, integrated training. The culmination of that combined effort took place July 21, 2025, with a combined arms live fire exercise at the Infantry Platoon Battle Course at Fort Pickett, Virginia...

Challenge, camaraderie fuel 11B transition for newest infantry Soldiers
August 8, 2023 — A few times each year, the Virginia National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, conducts an 11B Infantry Transition Course. The Soldiers who attend this course, all junior Soldiers and noncommissioned officers, each arrive with their own reason for being there. Some want to test themselves, to see if they can survive and thrive in the infantry. Others are fulfilling childhood dreams, or chasing promotion opportunities. Whatever their reason, their goal is singular: to earn the 11B military occupational specialty and leave Fort Barfoot with a blue infantry shoulder cord...

183rd RTI trains 20 new infantrymen
August 5, 2022 — U.S. Army National Soldiers from across the nation spent three weeks training as infantryman during an 11B Infantry Transition Course, taught by cadre assigned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute. The course, held July 9-23, 2022, at Fort Pickett, Virginia, started with 29 students and graduated with 20. ...

183rd RTI adapts in changing environment
January 24, 2022 — The Virginia National Guard’s 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute practiced their adaptability skills when Operation Allies Welcome came to Fort Pickett, where the RTI is based, late last summer. With an influx of thousands of Afghan evacuees and support personnel, cadre and staff of the 183rd quickly developed and executed contingency plans to move their courses and training events to other Virginia facilities, making use of sites like Fort A.P. Hill and the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. ...

183rd RTI teaches infantry skills at 11B course
August 19, 2021 — For three grueling weeks, 25 U.S. Army National Guard and Reserve Soldiers from across the nation trained together at Fort Pickett. At the ranges and across the training areas, they all shared a common goal: earning the iconic blue cord that comes along with the 11B Infantryman military occupational specialty. The Soldiers were there for the 11B Infantry Transition Course, held July 10-31, 2021, by cadre assigned to 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute. ...

VNG hosts combined arms marksmanship match
July 10, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — For the first time, the Virginia National Guard’s annual Adjutant General’s Marksmanship Match was a combined arms event, held June 21-23, 2019, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. More than 50 Soldiers and Airmen competed in the event, which tested their skills on both rifle and pistol, and was hosted by the Marksmanship Training Unit, part of 3rd Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute...

SMP cadets hone leadership, Soldier skills with help from 183rd RTI
February 20, 2019 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Simultaneous Membership Program allows ROTC cadets participating in their university’s ROTC program to also serve in the Virginia National Guard. During the past several months, those cadets enrolled in the SMP have been training with cadre assigned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The training is part of a pilot program designed to increase their leadership skills and prepare them for significant training events later this year...

National Guard infantrymen complete final challenge of ALC
March 25, 2018 — “Conducting a full raid on a village with a helicopter, that’s hard to beat,” said Sgt. Dexter Whitten, an Indiana National Guardsman enrolled in the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute’s Infantry Advanced Leaders Course. Together with more than 30 of his classmates, Whitten watched as four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters approached March 19, 2018, and landed in the Fort Pickett field in front of them. The aircraft, flown by Soldiers assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, were there in support of course’s culminating event, a raid on one of Fort Pickett’s villages...

Virginia hosts first Crew-Served Weapons Course at Fort Pickett
September 19, 2017 — Instructors assigned to the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute taught Virginia’s first-ever Crew-Served Weapons Course Sept. 11-15, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Twenty-eight Soldiers from units across the state attended the course, which focused on the M249 light machine gun and the M240B machine gun while aiming to improve machine gun proficiency across the force. ...

Virginia National Guard certifies 26 new rappel masters
June 15, 2017 — After five grueling days, 26 active duty, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers earned their rappel master certification after completing the U.S. Army’s Rappel Master Course, taught by Soldiers of the 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute June 5-9, 2017, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ...

Rappel masters help ChalleNGe cadets overcome fears
April 11, 2017 — Rappel masters of the Fort Pickett-based 1st Battalion, 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute helped candidates from the Commonwealth ChalleNGe rappel down a 40-foot tower April 8, 2017, at Fort Story, Virginia...

183rd RTI hosts open house, demonstrates capabilities
September 24, 2016 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute demonstrated their capabilities during an open house Sept. 24, 2016, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. RTI’s mission is to provide transition training in the infantry, transportation and military police career management fields as directed by the One Army School System, as well as operate the state’s officer and warrant officer commissioning schools...

8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) Soldiers learn leadership, tactics and teamwork
September 3, 2015 — Psychological Operations specialists from 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne) recently graduated the U.S. Army Light Leaders Course at Fort Pickett, Va. The 14-day course, conducted by the Virginia National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 183rd Infantry Regiment’s Regional Training Institute, focuses on teaching back-to-basics infantry skills to non-commissioned officers...

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