Virginia National Guard

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

29th ID mother, son deployed together
September 11, 2021 — When deployed Chief Warrant Officer 3 Sandra Williams misses her son, Alex, she doesn’t have to do math to figure out what time it is where he is located before calling him. Because they are deployed together in support of Operation Spartan Shield, the mother-son combo not only share the same moon – they share the same time zone... MORE

Va. National Guard Sandston-based aviation battalion to mobilize for duty in Kosovo
August 23, 2021 — Approximately 140 Soldiers assigned to the Virginia National Guard’s Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division will mobilize for federal active duty in early January 2022 as the aviation task force for the NATO-led Kosovo Force Regional Command-East, according to an announcement made Aug. 23, 2021, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia... MORE

1-169th conducts medical evacuation training during AT

Va. Guard Soldiers assigned to Lynchburg-based infantry battalion to mobilize for overseas duty
July 29, 2021 — The Virginia National Guard’s Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team has received a mobilization order to enter federal active duty to provide a security force in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, according to an announcement made July 29, 2021, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. ... MORE

Deployed 29th Infantry Division warrant officers celebrate 103rd birthday
July 12, 2021 — Virginia Army National Guard warrant officers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division, deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield, celebrated the Warrant Officer Corps’ 103rd birthday alongside their 36th Infantry Division counterparts July 9, 2021, at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait... MORE

First Army assists with 29th ID validation as National Guard unit preps for Operation Spartan Shield
June 26, 2021 — Following the announcement for its call to overseas service to support Operation Spartan Shield, the Virginia Army National Guard’s 29th Infantry Division (29th ID) successfully conducted its post-mobilization at North Fort Hood... MORE

29th ID cases colors, begins federal active duty
May 19, 2021 — BOWLING GREEN, Va. — Virginia and Maryland National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division officially begin federal active duty with a casing of the colors ceremony May 15, 2021, in Bowling Green, Virginia, and they will uncase the colors when they arrive in the Middle East. More than 500 Soldiers of the 29th will conduct a 10-month deployment in the Central Command Area of Operations as Task Force Spartan to provide leadership, command, control and in-depth staff analysis for Operation Spartan Shield. ... MORE

Virginia Air National Guard engineers return from Southwest Asia
May 7, 2021 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — More than 100 Virginia Air National Guard engineers reunited with family, friends and fellow Airmen May 5, 2021, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, after serving on federal active duty in Southwest Asia since October 2020. Virginia National Guard senior leaders were also on hand to thank them for their service and welcome them home. Airmen assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, or RED HORSE, were responsible for 15 engineer projects in six countries in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel... MORE

Army National Guard transitions cyber task force mission
February 8, 2021 — The transition of authority between two Army National Guard battalions was a quiet and seamless affair, taking place without the traditional ‘pomp and circumstance’ normally associated with significant Army events. The transition marked the end of a 15-month deployment for the Soldiers of the 124th Cyber Protection Battalion (CPB), who hail from Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Virginia and Utah, and the beginning for the Army National Guardsmen of the 123rd CPB, who call Illinois, Minnesota, Virginia, and Wisconsin their home states... MORE

29th Infantry Division to deploy to Middle East in Spring 2021
February 4, 2021 — FORT BELVOIR, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division has received a mobilization order for federal active duty in the Middle East, according to an announcement made Feb. 4, 2021, by Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia. In Spring 2021, more than 500 Soldiers of the 29th will begin a 10-month long deployment in the Central Command Area of Operations as Task Force Spartan to provide leadership, command, control and in-depth staff analysis for Operation Spartan Shield. While based at Fort Belvoir, Soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division live all throughout Virginia and Maryland... MORE

203rd RED HORSE Airmen depart for federal deployment
September 21, 2020 — Virginia National Guard Airmen assigned to the Virginia Beach-based 203rd Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, 192nd Wing made final preparations and departed for an overseas federal active duty deployment Sept. 12, 2020, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, visited with Airmen Sept. 9, and recognized outstanding Airmen and offered words of encouragement... MORE

VNG Fixed-wing aviators return to Virginia after successful deployment
June 30, 2020 — CHESTERFIELD, Va. — Virginia National Guard aviators assigned to the Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 245th Aviation Regiment are home after an 11-month deployment to Kuwait. The six-Soldier fixed-wing detachment returned stateside in early June 2020 after providing mission-critical, time-sensitive transport of passengers and cargo throughout the U.S… ... MORE

29th ID receives Army Meritorious Unit Commendation for 2016-2017 deployment
February 21, 2018 — Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division received the Army Meritorious Unit Commendation for its 2016-2017 deployment in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve, Maj. Gen. Blake C. Ortner, the 29th ID commander, announced to a formation of 29th ID Soldiers Jan. 14, 2018, at Fort Belvoir, Virginia... MORE

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