Virginia National Guard

R&R NCO talks leadership, opportunity and guiding the next generation
May 29, 2024 — Sgt. 1st Class Nestor Cordova wasn’t yet serving in the military when someone first thanked him for his service. It was 2011, and he was attending Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and enrolled in the ROTC program there, which required him to sometimes wear a military uniform. ... MORE

H2F trainer advises on goal-setting strategies
May 31, 2023 — If you ask Staff Sgt. Catherine So how to accomplish a goal, she’ll tell you to start small. So, an 88M Motor Transport Operator by military occupational specialty, is now part of the Virginia National Guard’s Holistic Health and Fitness, or H2F, team. Big fitness goals, she said, are best tackled when they’re bite-sized... MORE

A female Soldier poses inside a vehicle.

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

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

Flora presents lecture on importance of diversity in the military
March 31, 2017 — Brig. Gen. Lapthe Flora, Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General for Strategic Initiatives, presented a lecture on the topic “Diversity as a Force Multiplier in the Military” March 29, 2017, at the Bedford Welcome Center in Bedford, Virginia. The event was the first of the World War I speakers series sponsored by the Virginia World War I and World War II Commemoration Commission in partnership with the Virginia National Guard... MORE

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