Virginia National Guard

VNG’s first Filipino battery commander continues family military legacy
May 26, 2022 — Capt. Samuel Ignacio is the first Filipino American to serve as a battery commander in the Virginia National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He started his career in 2005 as an enlisted Soldier, serving for seven years as a 42A Human Resources Specialist before earning his commission. ... MORE

Food & family key to culture for VNG Soldier
May 23, 2022 — When Spc. Michael Delos Trinos thinks about his Filipino heritage, what comes to mind first is the food and the importance of family. A first generation Filipino American, Delos Trinos is currently assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division. He recently completed Basic Combat Training, or BCT, and plans to start Officer Candidate School later this year. His favorite Filipino food is lechon, a roasted suckling pig usually stuffed with spices and seasonings and cooked over an open flame which results in a flavorful offering of crispy-skinned pork. ... MORE

Spc. Michael Delos Trinos, at center, with his family. (Courtesy photo)

RSP NCO paves pathway for success for Leesburg area recruits
May 2, 2022 — Ever since he was a kid, Staff Sgt. Shane Williams knew he’d join the military. On his dad’s side, military service dates back all the way to the American Civil War. Since then, his family has served through every major U.S. conflict, excluding the Korean War, and almost everyone served in the U.S. Army. His grandfather was the only exception... MORE

Women veterans recognized during ceremony at Virginia War Memorial
April 6, 2022 — Women veterans, including former and current members of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia Defense Force, received pins recognizing their service during an event March 21, 2022, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia. ... MORE

VNG NCO recounts career moves from band geek to section chief
March 18, 2022 — Master Sgt. Jessica Dickenson started her first job when she was 11. Her parents were lucky to finish high school, she said, and money was tight. Everyone worked. She didn’t know much about the military, didn’t have any sort of family connection to it, but she was still fascinated with the idea of military service. A friend from high school had recently joined the Connecticut National Guard as a musician in the 102nd Army Band. ... MORE

Master Sgt. Jessica Dickenson, center, poses with her team during an awards ceremony with the Virginia Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion June 11, 2021, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

DMA HR manager credits personal, professional families for her success
February 23, 2022 — A life serving in or connected to the military always seemed to be in the cards for Michelle Claiborne, the Human Resources manager for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs. ... MORE

DMA HR manager credits personal, professional family for success

Field Artillery officer continues family legacy of Army service
February 1, 2022 — In Capt. Adrian Fonville’s family, military service is tradition. Both his grandfathers served, as did his mother, father and stepfather. His is an all-Army family. Today, Fonville serves as the rear detachment commander for 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, and despite his family’s affinity for military service, he didn’t join the Virginia National Guard until he was in his mid-20s. For Fonville, it was all about timing... MORE

VNG Soldier finds success through resilience
November 29, 2021 — Staff Sgt. Robert J. Gwilt’s connection to his Navajo heritage comes largely from the relationship he built with his grandfather while growing up in Gallup, New Mexico. “I grew up ranching cattle and riding horses,” he said. “Mostly with my grandfather until my dad moved us away from Gallup. We would drive all over the reservation and we raised livestock to sell to the local markets.”... MORE

Staff Sgt. Robert J. Gwilt poses with his family.

VNG officer graduates from Spanish-immersive ILE, assumes post in Colombia
September 13, 2021 — A Virginia National Guard officer has taken up a unique post in South America after graduating from the Spanish-immersive Command and General Staff College course at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... MORE

VNG officer graduates from Spanish-immersive ILE, assumes post in Columbia

VNG celebrates Unity/Diversity & Inclusion Day
August 3, 2021 — The Virginia National Guard celebrated Unity/Diversity & Inclusion Day July 14, 2021, at the Virginia National Guard Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Hosted by the EEO/EO/JDEC Office of the VNG, the event featured guest speakers, displays and food tastings... MORE

Virginia Guard Public Affairs VNG celebrates Unity/Diversity & Inclusion Day

Logistics officer balances family with military career
June 30, 2021 — Lt. Col. Alyssa Astphan grew up in a military family. Her father served, her uncle served, and before them, her Lebanese grandfather served in World War II with a local militia and both the French and British Armies. Continuing her family's legacy of military service always seemed like a given. From the time she knew about the concept of careers, she knew hers would be spent in the military... MORE

Signal officer shares journey of transition, acceptance
June 16, 2021 — When Maj. Keilyn DiStefano started her military career in 1998, it was in a different state, under a different name, with a different gender assignment. Back then, she wasn’t herself... MORE

Once open transgender service was authorized in the military, Maj. Keilyn DiStefano said she was among the first transgender Soldiers to receive a memo authorizing her to comport to the standards of her affirmed gender.

Dual-military couple provides mutual support through unique challenges
June 15, 2021 — U.S. Air Force Maj. Jonathan Patterson and U.S. Army Sgt. Mark Patterson knew within the early stages of their respective careers that military service was the right fit for them. The couple joined their respective branches about a decade apart, Maj. Patterson first, in early 2001, and Sgt. Patterson later, in 2011. The decade between their entry into the military saw a drastic change in policy toward members of the LGBTQ+ community. ... MORE

VNG “American Korean” talks career diversity & open-mindedness
May 19, 2021 — RICHMOND, Va. — Capt. John Choi Hemby calls himself an “American Korean,” because, he says, he’s an American first. Hemby’s mother is Korean and his father, who served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, is white. Growing up in Virginia and Mississippi, he said it wasn’t always easy to fit in. ... MORE

124th CPB first VNG battalion with all-female staff
March 29, 2021 — FORT MEADE, Md. – For Lt. Col. Christina Perronie, Maj. Michele Spangler, Capt. Anabel Montano-Vargas, Capt. Katie Kerr and Capt. Vanessa Rodriguez, 2020 proved exceptionally memorable. These women, all assigned to the Fairfax-based 124th Cyber Protection Battalion, 91st Cyber Brigade, not only mobilized, but also comprised the first known all-female staff within the Virginia Army National Guard, as well as Task Force Echo... MORE

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