Virginia National Guard

AG joins Flag Day and Army Birthday celebration in Vinton
June 15, 2021 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, gave remarks and participated in a ceremonial cake cutting during the Flag Day and Army Birthday event hosted by the Allegheny - Blue Ridge chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army June 13, 2021, in Vinton, Virginia. ... MORE

Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, gives remarks and participates in a ceremonial cake cutting during the Flag Day and Army Birthday event hosted by the Allegheny - Blue Ridge chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army June 13, 2021, in Vinton, Virginia.

VNG Soldiers perform well at Region II Best Warrior Competition
June 3, 2021 — Virginia National Guard Soldiers turned in strong performances at the Army National Guard Region II Best Warrior Competition held May 11-14, 2021, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania... MORE

Spc. Michael Choi navigates the Air Assault Obstacle Course May 12, 2021, during the Region II Best Warrior Competition at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania.

Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony honors, remembers fallen warriors
June 2, 2021 — The 2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony held May 31, 2021, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, honored and remembered the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who paid the ultimate price in nation’s defense... MORE

Virginia Air National Guard Master Sgt. Damon L. Obasi sings the national anthem during the 2021 Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony May 31, 2021, at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Virginia.

Virginia recruiter helps bring Vietnam War Memorial replica to local community
June 2, 2021 — When Virginia Army National Guard recruiter Staff Sgt. Chris Dickenson heard about the Wall That Heals, he knew it was something he wanted to bring to his community in Southwest Virginia. Unveiled by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund in 1996, the Wall That Heals is a traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Made of avonite, a synthetic granite, the Wall is made of 140 numbered panels stretching 375 feet in length and standing at 7.5 feet at its highest point. Just like the original wall in D.C., visitors can make rubbings of the more than 58,000 names etched on the wall. To date, the Wall has been displayed in nearly 700 communities, according to its official website. ... MORE

Staff Sgt. Chris Dickenson, a recruiter for the Virginia Army National Guard, poses during the arrival of the Wall That Heals to Poplar Gap Park in Grundy, Virginia. The wall, which is a three quarters replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., was displayed in the park May 6-9, 2021. (Courtesy photo)

Virginia’s aviation assets test response tools as hurricane season nears
May 27, 2021 — As hurricane season inched closer to the East Coast, aviators from the Virginia National Guard participated in an exercise managed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to test the state’s air operations plan. The exercise, held May 10, 2021, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia, made use of a new mission assignment tool and ensured communications capabilities between participating agencies. ... MORE

Virginia National Guard aviators participate in an air operations exercise managed by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management May 10, 2021, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The exercise aimed to test a new smart phone-enabled mission-management platform designed for use during a large-scale emergency response effort, such as a hurricane. With the potential for air support from multiple agencies, all on different communications platforms, the new program aims to simplify mission assignment and reporting efforts. In addition to VNG and VDEM personnel, the training included members of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Virginia State Police, the Federal Aviation Administration, the North Carolina National Guard and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The training also allowed for a test of loading and using communications by air crews and helicopter crews from VNG, VSP and USCG tested the new platform during a simulated response exercise. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

DMA employees recognized for outstanding job performance
May 26, 2021 — Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Walt Mercer, the Chief Operations Officer for the Virginia Department of Military Affairs, presented agency-wide awards May 18, 2021, at Fort Pickett, Virginia, to recognize outstanding state employees for their accomplishments... MORE

29th Infantry Division welcomes new Command Sergeant Major
May 24, 2021 — BOWLING GREEN, Va. — Command Sgt. Maj. Daryl Plude took responsibility as the command sergeant major of the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division from Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Ferris May 8, 2021, in Bowling Green, Virginia. Maj. Gen. John Rhodes, commanding general of the 29th Infantry Division, presided over the ceremony that included an exchange of the noncommissioned officer sword that represents the change of responsibility as the division’s senior noncommissioned officer from Ferris to Plude... MORE

VNG Youth Program hosts summer activities
May 19, 2021 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard Youth Program is offering several opportunities for Virginia National Guard youth to participate in activities this summer... MORE

Ceremony celebrates Virginia National Guard’s 414th birthday
May 19, 2021 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard celebrated its 414th birthday May 14, 2021, at the Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Command Chief Master Sgt. Kelly Reich, Virginia Air National Guard Command Chief, and Sgt. Korion Hunt, a Virginia Army National recruiter assigned to Newport News, cut the cake flanked by Acting Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs Kathleen Jabs and Maj. Gen. Timothy P. Williams, the Adjutant General of Virginia... 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

VNG adapts to changing COVID-19 support missions
May 18, 2021 — RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard continues to support COVID-19 response missions across Virginia with task forces conducting administrative and logistical support to vaccine clinics, and providing mobile vaccine teams to help administer shots in support of local, state and federal agencies... MORE

A Virginia National Guard Soldier administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a citizen during a mobile vaccination clinic in Norfolk, Virginia.

NCO induction ceremony held for 12 new aviation battalion NCOs
May 17, 2021 — SANDSTON, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division welcomed 12 Soldiers to the noncommissioned officer corps during an NCO Induction Ceremony held April 18, 2021, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The ceremony honored those Soldiers promoted to the rank of sergeant over the last two years... MORE

The Virginia National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment welcomes newly-promoted noncommissioned officers to the NCO Corps during a ceremony held April 18, 2021, at the VNG’s Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. A total of 16 NCOs, all promoted to sergeant since 2019, were recognized during the ceremony in front of state and unit enlisted leaders and members of their battalion. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)

Zana succeeds Flora as Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa commander
May 17, 2021 — CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI – U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Lapthe C. Flora, the outgoing Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) commanding general, transferred responsibility to U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William L. Zana during a change of command ceremony. U.S. Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), presided over the ceremony... 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

Funeral Honors Program hosts training for active-duty Soldiers
May 4, 2021 — VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia National Guard Military Funeral Honors Program hosted basic funeral honors training for 30 U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the Fort Eustis-based 7th Transportation Brigade April 19-23, 2021, at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, Virginia... MORE

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