Virginia National Guard

Explosives detection training lane at MTC dedicated to fallen VNG Soldiers
April 6, 2021 — FORT PICKETT, Va. — Current and former Virginia National Guard Soldiers and guests attended a dedication ceremony for the new Banks-Lambert Handheld Detection Lane March 26, 2021, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The explosives detection training lane was dedicated and named for Sgt. Derek R. Banks and Sgt. David E. Lambert, who were killed when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device Oct. 25, 2007... MORE

203rd RED HORSE honors its fallen on tragedy’s 20th anniversary
March 5, 2021 — Airmen from the 192nd Wing’s 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) came together March 3, 2021, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of what's known as the worst peacetime aviation disaster in National Guard history and the worst loss of life in the Virginia National Guard since World War II. ... MORE

Historic M42 Duster on display at JFHQ thanks to volunteer efforts
November 2, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — After more than a year of painstaking work by a group of dedicated volunteers, a 1955-dated M42 Duster its now on permanent display outside of the Sgt. Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. The Duster, a tracked, self-propelled 40mm anti-aircraft gun, was moved into place on a concrete pad Oct. 28, 2020, with help from Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site at Fort Pickett, Virginia. ... MORE

New artifacts on display soon thanks to volunteer efforts
October 5, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — Several new macro artifacts are being readied for permanent display outside of the Sgt. Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, including a 1955-dated M42 Duster which has been renovated with volunteer work over the last year... MORE

Virginia National Guard hosts D-Day observation
June 6, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard hosted a brief observation of the 76th anniversary of D-Day June 6, 2020, at the Sgt. Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Chief Master Sergeant James J. Profita, the… ... MORE

Ribbon cutting marks opening of Virginia War Memorial expansion
March 9, 2020 — RICHMOND, Va. — More than 800 people, including Gold Star families and national, state and local leaders attended the dedication day and grand opening of the Virginia War Memorial’s new C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion and the Shrine of Memory for the Global War on Terrorism and Beyond Feb. 29, 2020, in…... MORE

VNG’s first female Bronze Star recipient shares story at women’s summit
October 17, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s most highly decorated female Soldier shared her combat experiences on stage at the Women’s Achieve Summit Oct. 15, 2019, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. Sgt. Monica Beltran, the first VNG female to receive the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, spoke as part of a four-woman panel about breaking barriers. The discussion was led by celebrity host Queen Latifah... MORE

Norfolk armory named in honor of VNG D-Day combat medic
August 14, 2019 — NORFOLK, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Norfolk armory was officially named the Chief Warrant Officer 4 Arnold Lindblad Armory during a ceremony Aug. 14, 2019, in Norfolk, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, hosted the ceremony, which was attended by Lindblad’s son, retired VNG Master Sgt. Steve Lindblad, and other family members, as well as other senior Guard leaders... MORE

Veterans, retirees volunteer time, effort to help restore historic Duster
June 21, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Every Thursday at the Virginia National Guard’s Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia, a spirited group of veterans and retirees comes together with chisels, scrapers, sanders and other tools to tackle a unique restoration project with historical significance... MORE

Virginia’s vets honored on National Vietnam Veterans Day
April 3, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Dozens of Vietnam-era veterans were honored with a ceremony and special pin during a Vietnam Veterans Day commemoration March 29, 2019, at the Sitter and Barfoot Veterans Care Center in Richmond, Virginia... MORE

Virginia welcomes first female infantry officer
February 6, 2019 — FORT BENNING, Ga. — On Feb. 1, 2019, 1st Lt. Candice Bowen graduated from the U.S. Army’s Infantry Basic Officer Course and became the Virginia National Guard’s first female infantry officer. She joins a small group of other women who have successfully completed training at Fort Benning to become infantry Soldiers and officers since the career field was opened to women in 2016... MORE

VNG speaker series: Command historian offers leadership perspective
January 17, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen, plus guests, retirees and family members, received some valuable leadership lessons from an unlikely source during VNG’s speaker series Jan. 16, 2019, at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. VNG command historian Al Barnes, a retired chief warrant officer 4 and former enlisted Marine, titled his presentation “Leadership lessons: A historians perspective.” During the hour-long presentation, Barnes used examples from military history to provide simple but meaningful lessons to the leaders in attendance... MORE

Virginia National Guard dedicates new headquarters to D-Day veteran
January 8, 2019 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s newly-built Joint Force Headquarters was officially named and dedicated for Roanoke native and D-Day veteran Sgt. John Robert “Bob” Slaughter Jan. 8, 2019, at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia... MORE

Virginia’s African American Militiamen: Remembering the 6th Virginia Volunteers
February 20, 2018 — RICHMOND, Va. – In 1898, two Virginia battalions of African American Soldiers were mustered into federal service in support of the Spanish-American War. Once on federal active duty, the battalions, formed from companies initially organized as early as 1870, formed the 6th Virginia Volunteers. While the men of these units never saw combat, they trained in Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia before returning home... MORE

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