Virginia National Guard

29th ID returns to USA after Spartan Shield rotation
March 25, 2022 — The final group of Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division Headquarters return to the United States March 24, 2022, and were greeted by senior leaders from the Virginia National Guard when their plane landed at Fort Hood, Texas... MORE

29th ID concludes tour as Task Force Spartan
March 22, 2022 — Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general, 29th Infantry Division, Virginia Army National Guard, relinquished command of Task Force Spartan to Maj. Gen. William Blaylock II, commanding general, 35th Infantry Division, Kansas Army National Guard, March 20, 2022, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait... MORE

29ID Concludes Tour as Task Force Spartan

Education center offers opportunities to learn, lead for evacuated Afghans
March 7, 2022 — Evacuated Afghan children who have been out of school since August 2021 are back in class thanks to a newly-renovated community education center here. Located across the street from where Afghan evacuees are temporarily staying while awaiting processing for onward movement, the center is opened to adults and children and a result of collaboration efforts among multiple organizations currently participating in the largest evacuation of at-risk personnel since the Vietnam War, said Maj. Delphoney Kargbo, a 29th Infantry Division chaplain currently supporting Task Force Liberty. ... MORE

2-224th Aviation Regiment mobilizes to KFOR
February 14, 2022 — Soldiers and aviators of 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, Virginia Army National Guard, successfully conducted their mobilization and final readiness checks for their deployment to the Republic of Kosovo... MORE

U.S., Jordanian Soldiers build relationships through language
February 4, 2022 — Relationships are important, and intentional communication is essential to building relationships. Soldiers assigned to units composing Task Force Spartan are committed to establishing communication with their Jordanian partners while serving at the Joint Training Center near Zarqa, Jordan.These Soldiers are in a unique position, having Jordanian... MORE

Brothers in Arms: Virginia siblings serve together in Kuwait
February 1, 2022 — For many service members and veterans, the military is often characterized as a “brotherhood” in which strong bonds are built through shared experiences. For Sgt. 1st Class Robert Johnson, G32 Aviation noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Task Force Spartan, and Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Johnson, Air Mission Request noncommissioned officer-in-charge, Task Force Spartan, their “brotherhood” began long before either of them joined the military. ... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Johnson and Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Johnson are brothers who are deployed together with the 29th Infantry Division to Kuwait as part of Task Force Spartan.

Task Force Red Dragon takes charge of security mission in Horn of Africa
January 24, 2022 — The Virginia National Guard’s Task Force Red Dragon took responsibility for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa’s security forces mission during a transfer of authority ceremony Jan. 8, 2022, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti... MORE

VNG brigade HQs, aviation battalion begin mission to Kosovo
January 12, 2022 — The Virginia National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters officially began federal active duty Jan. 5, 2022, to take responsibility for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, and the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division started their mobilization as their aviation task force Jan. 2... MORE

29th ID Soldiers who served in Kosovo serve together again in Kuwait
January 4, 2022 — It was just over 15 years ago that 12 Soldiers who are presently deployed with the 29th Infantry Division as Task Force Spartan were part of a brigade-sized element that assumed the duties of Task Force Falcon, Kosovo Force 8, Multinational Task Force-East based at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo... MORE

Governor, First Lady host families of deployed VNG Soldiers, Airmen
January 3, 2022 — Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and the First Lady of Virginia Pam Northam hosted a reception for Virginia National Guard Soldiers, Airmen and their families Dec. 11, 2021, at Virginia’s Executive Mansion in Richmond, Virginia... MORE

TF Red Dragon trained, ready following CTE
December 21, 2021 — With almost 1,000 Soldiers on the ground, Task Force Red Dragon has finished its training and is now ready to deploy to the Horn of Africa after completing a Culminating Training Exercise, which began Dec. 13, 2021, at Camp McGregor, New Mexico. ... MORE

VNG cyber protection battalion completes TF Echo mission
December 6, 2021 — The Virginia National Guard’s Fairfax-based 123rd Cyber Protection Battalion, 91st Cyber Brigade marked the end of their support for Task Force Echo with a transition of authority ceremony Dec. 1, 2021, at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland... MORE

Task Force Echo – America’s Citizen Cyber Warriors

Va. National Guard task force begins federal active duty for security mission in Africa
November 27, 2021 — State and federal elected officials and senior military leaders joined families, friends and fellow Soldiers to mark the official start of federal active duty for more than 1,000 Virginia and Kentucky Army National Guard Soldiers Nov. 27, 2021, at departure ceremonies in Bedford, Virginia, and Lexington, Kentucky... MORE

Despite mission change, 29th ID Soldiers' resilience proves useful in escort mission
November 8, 2021 — With just a bit more information than the fictitious Rangers who boarded a plane with “mission undetermined, destination unknown,” a handful of Soldiers from Task Force Freedom and 29th Infantry Division showed the same grit and determination when they accepted their mission during Operation Allies Refuge. ... MORE

TF Spartan, 29th ID stand up TF Freedom, move 5,000 Afghans through Kuwait
November 2, 2021 — On a particularly hazy mid-September day in Kuwait, Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general of Task Force Spartan and the National Guard’s Virginia-based 29th Infantry Division, stood near a camp on a military base in Kuwait. Empty tents lined the desert in front of him. This was his Soldiers’ doing. ... MORE

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