Kentucky National Guard

Kentucky National Guard The Kentucky National Guard stands ready to defend the nation both home and abroad. Please read the rules contained in this Agreement carefully.

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2nd Lt. Jennifer Korth, with the 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry "Mountain Warriors", became the Kentucky National Guard's...
01/07/2023
Resiliency leads to the Kentucky National Guard’s first female infantry officer

2nd Lt. Jennifer Korth, with the 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry "Mountain Warriors", became the Kentucky National Guard's first female infantry officer in January 2022.

"I am thrilled and very proud of Lt. Jennifer Korth and all her accomplishments to become a qualified US Army Infantry Officer," said Lt. Gen. (Ret) John B. Conaway, former Commander of the Kentucky Air National Guard and Chief of the National Guard Bureau. "This is what our hometown Army and Air Force are all about. Her pride and skills are tantamount to her successes and completion of all of this rigorous training."

READ MORE HERE:

In January 2022, the Kentucky Army National Guard welcomed the commonwealth’s first female infantry officer to the team.

New faces of KYARNG – Pfc. Desire Hopkins, who currently lives in Chesterfield, Va., just completed her basic training a...
01/05/2023

New faces of KYARNG – Pfc. Desire Hopkins, who currently lives in Chesterfield, Va., just completed her basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and her advanced individual training at Fort Gordon, Ga. She will be joining the 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade as a signal support specialist (25U).

She plans to go back to the University of Kentucky for the fall semester and will be a second semester freshman.

Hopkins comes from a long line a military service. Her dad was a Marine, while her mom and grandfather were in the Army.

“I grew up a military kid from birth, I've always been around it. So it was a good option for me,” she said.

She went on to say how shocked her family was when she told them she was joining the military since she had sold them that she never was going to join any type of military service.

“Oh, they love it that I joined”, she laughed, “They were actually really shocked at first since I had always said that I was never going to join the military, like I always said that I would never do it. So when I did join my family was really proud.”

Her goal in the military is to possibly go Active Duty and be a paralegal and continue that path in the civilian world.

“I want to get my master's degree and then be a lawyer on the civilian side as well.”

Did you know?Kentucky National Guard Soldiers have access to fitness centers at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, B...
01/04/2023

Did you know?

Kentucky National Guard Soldiers have access to fitness centers at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, and Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville free of charge.

Be sure to follow KYNG Wellness and join in on the January challenge!

KYARNG H2F JANUARY CHALLENGE

SCREENSHOT THIS CALENDAR.

Choose one workout per day for the entire month of January. Switch it up, do the one that’s hardest for you or do the one you know you can do. The goal is to just get moving for one month.

Track your daily progress with this calendar and share it to social media. Don’t forget to tag ! 🇺🇸

Kentucky National Guard

Happy New Year from the Soldiers and Airmen of the Kentucky National Guard!May your New Year bring new blessings.
01/01/2023

Happy New Year from the Soldiers and Airmen of the Kentucky National Guard!

May your New Year bring new blessings.

From the State CSM Jesse Withers:Take a moment to watch and listen to SEA Whitehead's valuable message. If you are havin...
12/29/2022
SEA, Su***de Awareness & Prevention

From the State CSM Jesse Withers:

Take a moment to watch and listen to SEA Whitehead's valuable message.

If you are having issuers and want to talk about them, consider talking to someone at the Veterans Crisis Line. You can text them at
838255 or call 988 and press 1.

New faces of KYARNG – PVT Isabela Silverio, 19, from Louisville, Ky., recently finished her basic training and advanced ...
12/29/2022

New faces of KYARNG – PVT Isabela Silverio, 19, from Louisville, Ky., recently finished her basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Jackson. She will be will be joining the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) 101st Main Command Post-Operational Detachment, 75th Troop Command as a human resources specialist (42A).

Her motivation for joining the National Guard was to provide a better life for her niece in which she looks after.

“I really want to give her the best. So I was like, I'll join the Army", she said. “I was planning to go active, but it would be most beneficial for my niece to stay here with me. So I decided that I would join the National Guard so she could stay with me here.”

She talked about how her late brother and she had always looked up to those in the military and how that motivates her.

Her goal is to one day be a drill sergeant and mold other Soldiers and ultimately become a First Sergeant for a basic training location.

If there was any question about her toughness, she showed it while in her basic training when she got hurt and kept going. She wants others to know that anyone can complete the training, no matter your size or gender.

“If I can go through it being four foot 11 and only 103 pounds when I started, anybody can go through, she said. “Especially since I got injured during basic in the third week and I still was able to push through despite how hard it was to do. But I still did it so I'm pretty sure anybody else can do it too.”

During this past week’s  , the Kentucky Guard responded to the call. In total, there were four Wrecker/Mobility Support ...
12/27/2022

During this past week’s , the Kentucky Guard responded to the call. In total, there were four Wrecker/Mobility Support Teams sent out un support of Kentucky State Police to help citizens on the road ways.

Three teams were sent to Gallatin County on I-71 between Louisville/Walton where they towed more than 130 cars and trucks off the road, as well as, manned positions on the on-ramps to block off traffic in support of KSP’s closing those interstate on-ramps

The other Wrecker/Mobility Support Team was sent out to support KSP on I-65 between Elizabethtown and Cave City where they towed three tractor trailers off the road and distributed water to those stranded motorists.

We wish you the happiest of holidays from our family to yours. It has been another busy year, so take time to pause and ...
12/24/2022

We wish you the happiest of holidays from our family to yours. It has been another busy year, so take time to pause and enjoy time with your loved ones.

12/24/2022
KYTC Snowfighter Drew

Great work by the men and women who work through these storms to keep our roads safe. Please be careful out there.

12/24/2022

Kentucky State Police continue to work to detour vehicles stalled on I-71 North. Backed up vehicles are being turned around to travel south on I-71 north to reach Exit 62. Vehicles can then travel southbound on I-71 or go in either direction of US 127. One lane of I-71 South remains open but traffic is slow-moving.

It will take multiple hours to reroute vehicles. Seven miles of the 14-mile backup has been cleared South of US 127 between MM 55-62. Remaining backup is north of US 127. Officials continue to advise motorists to avoid the area. A statewide text message was sent alerting drivers to avoid I-71N.

We understand the challenging conditions drivers are facing after being on the road for long hours. If you are experiencing an emergency (i.e. run out of gas, medical emergency, etc.), please call 911. Please provide your license plate number and make of your vehicle. Kentucky National Guard is doing wellness checks. We will continue to provide updates.

Kentucky Emergency Management

Soldiers from the 138th Field Artillery Brigade work with Kentucky State Police to help clear I-71 in Gallatin County th...
12/23/2022

Soldiers from the 138th Field Artillery Brigade work with Kentucky State Police to help clear I-71 in Gallatin County this morning after passed through the area overnight.

Our Guard Soldiers around Kentucky have been prepared and ready to help when called upon when needed.



(Photos submitted by SSG Jerami Tewsley, C Btry, 2-138th FA BN.)

12/23/2022

Please stay safe and stay inside if at all possible during this time of bitter cold.

12/23/2022

The severe Arctic cold is setting in across Kentucky. With windchills expected to be as low as -15 to -25F and wind gusts of up to 40-50mph, please limit your time outdoors and be mindful of the signs and symptoms of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite can occur in as little as 20 minutes!

Actions to take for frostbite:
-Go to a warm room, soak in warm water, do not use a heating pad

Actions to take for hypothermia:
-Go to a warm room, warm the center of the body first
-Keep dry and wrapped in warm blankets, including the head and neck

Across the commonwealth the Kentucky National Guard is prepped and ready to respond to inclement weather if needed. The ...
12/22/2022

Across the commonwealth the Kentucky National Guard is prepped and ready to respond to inclement weather if needed. The as part of

New faces of KYARNG – Pfc. Clayton Woodson, from Frankfort, Ky., just finished his basic training and advanced individua...
12/22/2022

New faces of KYARNG – Pfc. Clayton Woodson, from Frankfort, Ky., just finished his basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Jackson, S.C. He will be joining the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade as a human resources specialist (42A).

Woodson will be starting college in January at the University of Kentucky.

He is following in his father’s footsteps who is a lieutenant colonel in the Kentucky National Guard.

“I want to make a career of my Guard service and commission to become an officer like my dad,” said Woodson.

He is also taking full advantage of the tuition benefits that the Guard offers and encourages others to do the same.

“I would say, take advantage of the benefits, there's plenty of benefits,” he said. “For example, I'll be going to the University of Kentucky soon and I’ll be getting paid to go to college. That's something you have to take full advantage of.”

As we prepare for the incoming winter weather, make sure to take the steps to keep yourself safe on the roads if you hav...
12/21/2022

As we prepare for the incoming winter weather, make sure to take the steps to keep yourself safe on the roads if you have to travel the next few days. 🥶🥶

Please be weather aware as a winter weather event could impact several parts of KY this week. Please make sure you have a travel survival kit in your car. If you are traveling, leave extra time and extra space when following other cars.

NHTSA Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Today CH (CPT) David Johnson was sworn in as the newest chaplain to the Kentucky National Guard and promoted to the rank...
12/20/2022

Today CH (CPT) David Johnson was sworn in as the newest chaplain to the Kentucky National Guard and promoted to the rank of captain. The Oath of Office and promotion was administered by CH (COL) Bill Draper, State Chaplain, and was attended by members of the Recruiting and Retention Command where CH Johnson will serve as chaplain.

(Photos by SSG Alan Royalty)

Former Kentucky Guardsmen, turned civilian employee retires after many years of service to the commonwealth. We wish you...
12/20/2022

Former Kentucky Guardsmen, turned civilian employee retires after many years of service to the commonwealth.

We wish you the best on your retirement COL Burd!

Last week, December 15, 2022, at the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM), State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Frankfort, Kentucky, friends, family, and colleagues of Colonel Wayne Burd gathered to honor his retirement from KYEM and many years of dedication to the Commonwealth. Kentucky Emergency Management Association (KEMA) Board Members presented Colonel Burd with the Gift of Time.

Pictured Left to Right:

Dustin Heiser, KEMA Executive Vice President, Colonel Wayne Burd, KYEM Assistant Director of Operations, Jon Allen, KEMA President, and Jamie Sparks, KEMA Secretary.

Kentucky Emergency Management, Campbell County KY Office of Emergency Management, Nesbitt Engineering, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, Kentucky National Guard, Campbell County Fiscal Court, Governor Andy Beshear.

Working together to get the mission completed! Staff Sgt. Jonathan Ho**er, a crew chief from New York’s 109th Airlift Wi...
12/20/2022
Airmen From 3 States Repair LC-130 Stranded at South Pole

Working together to get the mission completed!

Staff Sgt. Jonathan Ho**er, a crew chief from New York’s 109th Airlift Wing, Staff Sgt. Grant Santese, an aerorepair craftsman from Pennsylvania’s 193rd Special Operations Wing, and Tech Sgt. Dennis Craig, a hydraulics craftsman from Kentucky’s 123rd Airlift Wing, flew in to make the fix Nov. 23-25.

AMUNDSON-SCOTT SOUTH POLE, Antarctica - National Guard Airmen from New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky braved subzero temperatures at the bottom of the world to repair an LC-130 “Skibird.”The plane

12/20/2022

This year, you've been Always Ready, Always There -- and you have made a difference. Never doubt your impact, and never doubt how much you mean to those around you. Thank you being part of our National Guard family. We wish you and your families a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

Around 15 local high school principals, coaches, teachers and athletic directors from around the Frankfort area particip...
12/19/2022

Around 15 local high school principals, coaches, teachers and athletic directors from around the Frankfort area participated in an Educators Outreach Event where they were introduced to the Guard and got to ride in a UH-60 Blackhawk.

According to MAJ Johnathan Strayer, with the Kentucky National Guard's National Guard Recruiting Center recruiting and retention, events like these are important to have "a face-to-face with educators who are at these schools in hopes to reenergize our relationship with them."

The counties who were represented were Scott, Woodford, Franklin,
Montgomery, Anderson, and Shelby.

Nathan Sewell was in attendance representing Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, Ky., said he saw the importance of him attending this event was a way to be educated on the options he wants the kids he teaches to know about.

"It's important to build a relationship with our recruiters so that our kids see opportunities, said Sewell. "I talked to the kids about whenever they graduate, they need to go into something to get further in their career, whether it be college, whether it be training, whether it be the military. The National Guard offers a lot of great opportunities that I try to put in front of the kids."

63rd Theater Aviation Brigade

The last of the Boone Center holiday party commenced today closing out the last two weeks of fun and food. Each office o...
12/16/2022

The last of the Boone Center holiday party commenced today closing out the last two weeks of fun and food. Each office on BNGC hosted a party/open house each day. Relive some of the moments with us.


MORE PHOTOS ON OUR FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kentuckyguard/albums

Drink water!A message from our H2F wellness folks reminds us how important it is to stay hydrated. Your overall health d...
12/15/2022

Drink water!

A message from our H2F wellness folks reminds us how important it is to stay hydrated.

Your overall health depends on it.

HAPPENING NOW: Kentucky's newest Soldiers received their unit patches during a ceremony at the Wellman Armory on Boone N...
12/15/2022

HAPPENING NOW: Kentucky's newest Soldiers received their unit patches during a ceremony at the Wellman Armory on Boone National Guard Center as part as their . These Soldiers have completed their basic and individual training and are ready to join their units.

Welcome Troops!!

Did you know?Through the Blue Grass Army Depot MWR office, Soldiers and their families are able to rent campers, boats, ...
12/15/2022
Blue Grass Army Depot

Did you know?

Through the Blue Grass Army Depot MWR office, Soldiers and their families are able to rent campers, boats, water skis, camping equipment, and more.

For a full list of available services, visit:

G9 integrates and delivers Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and services enabling readiness and resilience for a globally-responsive Army.

Neighbors helping neighbors is everything that the Guard is about! We thank our brothers and sisters in the Tennessee Na...
12/14/2022

Neighbors helping neighbors is everything that the Guard is about! We thank our brothers and sisters in the Tennessee National Guard for answering the call in our time of need!

Donate blood today with the Red Cross on Boone National Guard Center, open from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.!Walk-ins, no appo...
12/14/2022

Donate blood today with the Red Cross on Boone National Guard Center, open from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.!

Walk-ins, no appointment necessary after 11:00 a.m. today.

Four seats available!

  Staff Sgt. Thomas Clemons from Falls of Rough, died Dec. 11, 2006 as he was preparing to go on patrol with his team ne...
12/11/2022

Staff Sgt. Thomas Clemons from Falls of Rough, died Dec. 11, 2006 as he was preparing to go on patrol with his team near Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, when he succumbed to a heart attack. Clemons deployed in March, 2006 to Iraq with 2nd Battalion, 123rd Armor.

New Faces of KYARNG – Pvt. Jamell Fields just completed Basic Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and his initial Army train...
12/08/2022

New Faces of KYARNG – Pvt. Jamell Fields just completed Basic Training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and his initial Army training at Fort Gordon, Ga. He lives in Loveland, Oh., and will be joining the 138th Signal Company, 138th Field Artillery Brigade, as a Signal Support System Specialist (25U).

Fields is originally from Virginia and is currently attending Northern Kentucky University where he is a sophomore studying cybersecurity.

He plans of someday being an officer and is in the ROTC program at Xavier University.

Coming from a family of service members, Fields had a lot of influences that pointed him to join.

“Both my grandparents and my dad were in the Army,” he said. “My dad said that the military would be a good choice.”

He has a message for those who are about to join the Guard and will soon be where he is.

“Stay motivated,” he said. “To get through training you have stay positive, because the bad days don't last forever.”

On this day in 1941, Japanese bombers launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on the is...
12/07/2022

On this day in 1941, Japanese bombers launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, precipitating the entry of the United States into World War II.

UPDATE: All the tickets have been claimed!The University of Kentucky Athletics Department would like to provide free tic...
12/06/2022

UPDATE: All the tickets have been claimed!

The University of Kentucky Athletics Department would like to provide free tickets to Kentucky National Guard Soldiers, Airmen, Retirees, Veterans and their family members for their upcoming Women’s Basketball game versus Louisville on December 11th at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
These are digital tickets and distributed through email. In order to get the tickets, the recipient will need to have either a Ticketmaster or UK Athletics account. If the recipient does not have one of those, they will be prompted to create one in order to accept them.
These tickets will be available on a first come, first serve basis and can be requested by emailing the public affairs office at [email protected].
Service members can request up to four (4) tickets by providing the following information in the request:
-Service Member’s Name
-KYNG Duty Status
-Current Unit (or last unit if retired or a veteran)
-Valid Email Address to Send Tickets
-Number of Tickets Requested
-The KYNG available tickets will be distributed electronically and your phone will be your ticket! These tickets are General Admission (GA) and will not have a designated row or seat.

The National Guard Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony L. Whitehead visited the Kentucky Army National Guard's 63rd Theater Avi...
12/05/2022

The National Guard Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony L. Whitehead visited the Kentucky Army National Guard's 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, HHD 75th Troop Command, 223rd Military Police Company, and the 202nd Army Band on Sunday to recognize Soldiers for all they accomplished this year.

SEA Whitehead is the first to hold the new rank of Senior Enlisted Advisor; the coins presented to the Soldiers are the first with the new rank on them.

"Kentucky Soldiers are a lot of fun!" said Whitehead. "They have a lot of energy, they have a lot of pride, they have a lot of patriotism. They have a lot of appreciation for community. And that is an important part of being a Guardmen. I've seen Kentucky Guardsmen take that to heart in everything they do."

U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Andrew Dickson

Congratulations to CH (COL) Bill Draper on his promotion to Colonel! We are happy for you sir! Well deserved. Draper was...
12/02/2022

Congratulations to CH (COL) Bill Draper on his promotion to Colonel! We are happy for you sir! Well deserved.

Draper was promoted to the rank of Colonel during a ceremony at the Wellman Armory on Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort.

New Faces of KYARNG – Pfc. Carla Retana just completed Basic Training and her initial Army training at Fort Leonard Wood...
12/01/2022

New Faces of KYARNG – Pfc. Carla Retana just completed Basic Training and her initial Army training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. She lives in Lexington, Ky., and will be joining the 2112th Transportation Company, 75th Troop Command, as a Motor Transport Operator (88M).

She was born in Mexico to a mother who had emigrated from Guatemala. They moved to Lexington when Retana was 11 years-old.

Currently she is a student at Bluegrass Community and Technical College where she is working toward an associates in science.

While she working her full time job, her boss- a retired Kentucky National Guardsman- talked to her about joining the Guard.

“He told me that I should do it, she said. “He said it the best thing I can could ever do,”

With that influence and that of a friend who participated in an ROTC program in high school who had already joined the Guard, Retana figured it would a beneficial move.

“I joined to better my education and for better opportunities,” she said. “Not just for me, but for my family who came from a poor country to a place where it's full of benefits. I've been working really hard to get every benefit that I can and give back to this country that has helped me and my family a lot.”

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