Virginia National Guard

Governor Northam signs Executive Order transferring Department of Military Affairs to Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs
September 26, 2018 — Governor Ralph Northam signed Executive Order Twenty Sept. 26, 2018, transferring oversight of the Department of Military Affairs from the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs. With the majority of the budget for the Virginia National Guard coming from federal funds and the need to increase recruitment and retention opportunities, the agency transfer is occurring at a crucial time to meeting end-strength goals... MORE

VaANG Airmen protect aircraft, citizens under hurricane threat
September 24, 2018 — Virginia Air National Guard Airmen evacuated U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors and T-38 Talons ahead of hurricane Florence from Joint Base Langley-Eustis and set up shelters in the local community, Sept. 11, 2018... MORE

Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team departs for South Carolina
September 22, 2018 — A Virginia National Guard aviation crew of four Soldiers and a team of three Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Scuba Rescue Team members departed Sept. 22, 2018, from Chesterfield County, Virginia, to support the South Carolina National Guard with recovery operations after Hurricane Florence caused serious flooding across the state. The VNG aviators and Chesterfield rescue technicians form the Virginia Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team to provide rotary wing aviation rescue hoist capabilities that can conduct aerial rescue evacuation in situations where there is potential loss of life, limb or eyesight or significant property damage... MORE

Gillis takes command of 329th Regional Support Group
September 22, 2018 — Col. Doyle Gillis, Jr., took command of the Virginia Beach-based 329th Regional Support Group from Col. K. Weedon Gallagher in a change of command ceremony Sept. 9, 2018, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Lapthe C. Flora, the Virginia National Guard Assistant Adjutant General- Army, presided over the exchange of unit colors that represented the transfer of command from Gallagher to Gillis. The National Anthem was performed by Gillis’ daughter, Evan Renee Winter... MORE

VDF augments Virginia National Guard support for Hurricane Florence
September 21, 2018 — The Virginia Defense Force brought nearly 50 personnel on state active duty to assist the Virginia National Guard with the statewide response to Hurricane Florence Sept. 9-18, 2018. VDF personnel provided multiple capabilities including interoperable communications, operations center augmentation, operations center liaison, incident management assistance, state-managed shelter logistics and public information... MORE

VNG supports multi-state, multi-agency response to Hurricane Florence
September 20, 2018 — The Virginia National Guard staged more than 1,500 personnel Sept. 12, 2018, at key locations across the commonwealth to support local and state emergency management officials with possible response to Hurricane Florence, but most were not needed when the storm turned further south. When Governor Ralph Northam authorized Virginia’s resources could be redirected to North Carolina, the VNG sent sent approximately 40 Soldiers and 20 light medium tactical vehicles to support with recovery efforts where the hurricane caused widespread flooding... MORE

AG swears in new JFHQ Inspector General
September 19, 2018 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, swore in Col. Anthony Daniels as the new Joint Force Headquarters – Virginia Command Inspector General Sept. 6, 2018, in Richmond, Virginia... MORE

CERFP search & extraction team trains in West Virginia
September 19, 2018 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to a specialized response force traveled to Camp Dawson, West Virginia, for a 12-day, four-phase course on the basics of search and extraction during the latter half of August. The eleven Soldiers who attended the course are all assigned to the 180th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group... MORE

Va. National Guard Airmen prep communications gear for crisis
September 19, 2018 — A hurricane threatens to hit Virginia and Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen respond. Mission command centers are set up and task forces are assigned in various regions throughout the commonwealth before the storm makes landfall. Commanders, Soldiers and Airmen rely on the use of technology to communicate with one another when geographically separated. It is vital to the mission to have a strong line of communication between mission command centers and the men and women out in the field... MORE

Virginia National Guard sending support to North Carolina
September 15, 2018 — The Virginia National Guard is sending approximately 40 Soldiers and 20 light medium tactical vehicles to support the North Carolina National Guard with recovery efforts after Hurricane Florence caused widespread flooding, and they departed Sept. 15, 2018. The VNG will keep a force of Soldiers on standby and postured for possible support to the Southwest Virginia region if needed, and personnel not on standby will return to routine operations... MORE

Flora shares leadership philosophy with U.S. Army Africa
September 14, 2018 — Brig. Gen. Lapthe C. Flora is the new U.S. Army Africa deputy commanding general and Army Reserve component integration adviser. He concurrently serves in the Virginia National Guard as the Assistant Adjutant General – Army. Flora recently agreed to participate in a leadership-based question and answer session during exercise Shared Accord 2018... MORE

Virginia National Guard staged and ready for possible Hurricane Florence support
September 13, 2018 — The Virginia National Guard has more than 1,300 personnel staged and ready to support local and state emergency management officials with response to Hurricane Florence Sept. 12, 2018. VNG Soldiers, Airmen and members of the Virginia Defense Force are staged at key locations across the commonwealth in order to rapidly respond if needed... MORE

Air Assault & Pathfinder Schools held at Fort Pickett
September 5, 2018 — It was “Zero Day” of Air Assault School, Aug. 7, 2018, and for most of the 270 Soldiers gathered at Fort Pickett, their reason for being there was simple: They wanted to prove something... MORE

Commonwealth ChalleNGe graduates 91 from Class 49
September 4, 2018 — The Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy graduated 91 cadets from Class 49 during a ceremony Aug. 25, 2018, at Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach. Walt Mercer, chief operations officer for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, joined Mark Chicoine, director of the Virginia Commonwealth ChalleNGe Youth Academy, in congratulating the cadets on finishing the five-and-a-half-month residential portion of the program... MORE

Va. flight crews build trust, train with W. Va. special operators
September 3, 2018 — A crowd of spectators started to form as two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters appeared over the tree line and landed along the shore of Lake Erie. It was almost lunchtime on Sept. 5, 2018, and already that morning a small group of Soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group were busy preparing their equipment and getting ready for the day’s training in Hamburg, New York, just south of Buffalo... MORE

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