Virginia National Guard

09/04/2026

Mark Casper, president and CEO of Tech For Troops, donates laptop computers to Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers Sept. 2, 2026, at the VNG Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Brig. Gen. Todd H. Hubbard, VNG Director of the Joint Staff, accepted the donation. Tech for Troops is a Richmond-based nonprofit which benefits under-served veterans by teaching and empowering digital skills through training, education and technology. The laptops will allow VaARNG Soldiers a way to keep in communication with their families during future deployments.

09/04/2026

U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers fresh from Advanced Individual Training or One Station Unit Training, along with Soldiers transferring from another state or component, were officially welcomed to the Virginia Army National Guard during First Formation Sept., 2026, at the Sgt. Bob Slaughter Headquarters in Richmond.

First Formation gives new Soldiers a one-stop opportunity to get their gear, verify records, connect with their new unit and — perhaps most importantly — receive their first Virginia Army National Guard unit patch.

Welcome to the team. Now the real adventure begins.

More photos here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD46xg

08/31/2026

“This was the best iteration of Cyber Fortress yet,” said Col. Gerald Mazur, commander of the Fort Belvoir-based 91st Cyber Brigade.

The Virginia Army National Guard’s 91st Cyber Brigade hosted Cyber Fortress 26, a joint, interagency, intergovernmental multinational exercise, July 25- Aug. 8, 2026, at the State Military Reservation

08/24/2026

Congratulations to Lt. Col. Jason Detweiler and Command Sgt. Maj. Brodie Kirkland on their new assignments!

Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, announced new Virginia National Guard senior leader assignments in an announcement Aug. 12, 2026, in Richmond, Virginia. 

08/21/2026

“We do not retire our history; we safeguard it,” Maj. Paul Marcinko said. “It was built over decades, written in the dust of training centers at home and the sand of overseas deployments. It was earned in local communities during natural disasters when our neighbors called, and our troopers answered. It was forged in the cold early mornings on the r***e range, the long hours spent in the motor pool, and the quiet pride of earning your spurs on the trail.”

More than 20 years after they were first unfurled, the colors of 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team were cased in a ceremony held Aug. 13, 2026, at Fort Pickett,

08/19/2026

Staff at Virginia National Guard’s Sergeant Bob Slaughter Headquarters pays tribute to employee Brenda Yates during a plaque unveiling Aug. 19, 2026, at Defense Supply Center Richmond, Virginia. Yates, who passed away unexpectedly in July, worked as a headquarters custodian since 2019, helping guide staff through COVID protocols and helping maintain a positive work environment for the entire staff. Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, presented Yates’ daughter Shamier Yates with the plaque and gave her a tour of her late mother’s workspace.

08/18/2026

Congratulations to Sgt. Tyler C. Hicks, who cleared the federal recognition board to become the Virginia National Guard’s newest Warrant officer Candidate! Hicks, assigned to the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, is on his way to becoming a 131A Targeting Warrant Officer. He previously served as a mortarman in the Marine Corps before transitioning to his current role as a radar team chief.

Hicks’ technical expertise, dedication to his craft, and proven leadership make him an outstanding addition to the Warrant Officer Cohort. Please join us in congratulating WOC Hicks on this major milestone and wishing him the best as he prepares for Warrant Officer Candidate School and his future as a 131A Field Artillery Targeting Technician!

For more information about becoming a warrant officer in the Virginia National Guard, contact Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kelvie Fore at kelvie.g.fore.mil@army or Chief Warrant Officer 3 James Condrey at [email protected].

08/18/2026

Honored to represent the 435,000-strong National Guard at the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, where we welcomed our newest Citizen-Warriors and celebrated the reenlistments of our dedicated Virginia National Guard Soldiers & Airmen.

Come join us for a career of a lifetime. Go Guard!

08/18/2026

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, the 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Command Sgt. Maj. James B. Kendrick, the 14th Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, visit with Virginia Air National Guard senior leaders and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division Aug. 15, 2026, in Sandston, Virginia. Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Chief Master Sgt. John F. Nye, the Virginia National Guard’s senior enlisted leader, joined the NGB senior leaders visiting with VaANG leaders at the Mullins Readiness Center, and VaARNG aviators at the VNG Army Aviation Support Facility, where Nordhaus presented five aviators with his challenge coin for exceptional performance.

More photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD2w5N

08/17/2026

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, the 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, administers the oath of enlistment to current and incoming Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen during a ceremony before the NASCAR Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway Aug. 15, 2026, in Henrico, Virginia. Prior to the enlistment and reenlistment ceremonies, Nordhaus and Command Sgt. Maj. James B. Kendrick, the 14th Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, plus Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, and Chief Master Sgt. John F. Nye, the Virginia National Guard’s senior enlisted leader, visited with Virginia Army and Air National Guard recruiters set up at the track. Nordhaus rode in the official pace car at the start of the race, and the Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band performed the national anthem.

More photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD2yhe