Rhode Island National Guard

05/25/2026

On May 25, 2026, Major General Andrew J. Chevalier, The Adjutant General, joined Governor Daniel J. McKee, service members, veterans, and Gold Star families at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery to honor the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation during the state’s Memorial Day ceremony.

The ceremony, accompanied by the music of the “Governor’s Own” 88th Army Band, paid tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of America’s fallen heroes as Rhode Islanders gathered in remembrance and gratitude.

(U.S. Army National Guard photos by Capt. Alexandra Curtis)

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we honor and remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.

Across nearly four centuries, Rhode Islanders have answered the call in every generation. Some never came home.

Today, we stand with them. We speak their names. We remember their sacrifice. And we recommit ourselves to the duty they carried before us.

We are forever grateful.

We will never forget.

Capt. Mark Incze, a visual information specialist assigned to the R...

05/24/2026

This Memorial Day, we remember and honor fallen Rhode Island service members at the annual Garden of Heroes wreath laying ceremony in Providence, R.I. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, joined by a Gold Star family member, lay wreaths as Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Chevalier reads the names of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terrorism since September 11, 2001.

(U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Rachel List)

05/22/2026

Rhode Island National Guard Adds Norwegian Foot March to Best Warrior Competition

Story by Staff Sgt. Rachel List

EAST GREENWICH, R.I. — The Rhode Island National Guard's Best Warrior Competition expanded this year with the addition of the Norwegian Foot March, an internationally recognized military endurance event that challenges service members to complete an 18.6-mile march carrying a 24-pound rucksack within a strict time standard.
Rhode Island hosted the event, and featured it in the competition, for the first time. Sgt. Maj. Brian Lancey, G3 operations sergeant major at Rhode Island Joint Force Headquarters, organized the event and said the decision came down to two things: growing the competition and giving every participant something to take home.
"I'm trying to make it more enticing for people to want to do it," Lancey said. "And even if you didn't win Best Warrior, if you completed the march, you still have a badge you can wear."
Soldiers who finished the course within the required time standard earned the Norwegian Foot March medal, a decoration authorized for wear on the Army dress uniform. Lancey coordinated the award process directly with the Norwegian Embassy, submitting a packet that detailed the event's safety measures and logistics. The embassy approved the packet on the first submission.
"The embassy said, 'Great packet, great product, go ahead and do it,'" Lancey said. "Now that the march is done, I’ll send more paperwork to the embassy and they will send me the certificates."
Lancey noted that opportunities to earn foreign military badges are rare for Rhode Island Guardsmen. Prior to this year, the most common path was through airborne operations with a foreign jumpmaster. He sees the Norwegian Foot March as a way to expand those opportunities.
"People underestimate a little award you can put on your uniform," Lancey said. "It's a motivation tactic."
The Best Warrior Competition has no mandated event list, giving organizers the flexibility to build their own lineups. Lancey said he keeps his selections focused.
"I try to keep it all combat-related," he said.
Lancey had considered including the march in Rhode Island's upcoming regional Best Warrior Competition, but the event's weather restrictions made a June event too uncertain. The march cannot be conducted when temperatures exceed 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
"Depending on the weather in June, it might exceed that," Lancey said. "I don't want someone to attempt or complete it and then not get qualified."
Lancey expects the Norwegian Foot March to become a regular part of Rhode Island's Best Warrior Competition and is exploring ways to open it to soldiers outside the competition as well.
"Some people are super squared away but might not want to partake in Best Warrior," Lancey said. "They could still do the foot march."
Adding the Norwegian Foot March significantly raises the physical and mental bar for Rhode Island’s Best Warrior Competition.

(U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Noah Moroski)

05/22/2026

The Rhode Island National Guard hosts a promotion ceremony for its newest Chief Warrant Officer 5, CW5 Jacob Smith, at Joint Force Headquarters, Camp Fogarty, East Greenwich, Rhode Island, Thursday, May 21, 2026. CW5 Smith has served in the RI National Guard for 26 years and currently serves as the AGR Branch Manager. The ceremony was hosted by Maj. Gen. Andrew Chevalier, the Adjutant General, and attended by CW5 Smith's family, friends, and dozens of his uniformed friends and colleagues.

(U.S. Army National Guard photos by Maj. Mark Incze)

05/20/2026

05/19/2026

Not everything should be handled at the lowest level. Leaders are trained to solve problems, but mental health isn’t one to carry alone. Know when to connect someone with the professionals trained to help.
Support Resources:
• RIARNG Chaplain (COL) Timothy Bourquin: 401-486-3736
• RIANG Chaplain (MAJ) Robert Clark: 401-267-3486
• RIARNG Director of Psychological Health, Laura Morrell: 401-557-6754
• RIANG Director of Psychological Health, Louis J. Schnaier: 401-267-3330
• Military & Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then Press 1

Be sure to share this video with your fellow service members so we can strengthen our force and support those facing mental health challenges!

(U.S. Army National Guard video by Sgt. 1st Class Terry Rajsombath)

05/15/2026

-Maj. Nelson Robles, Judge Advocate, 43rd Military Police Brigade

“I was stationed at Fort Benning and did trial defense services. I was thinking of coming back home because my mother got sick. So, I was like, ‘Ok. I’ll come back home,’ and reached out to a friend in the RING who put me in contact with Colonel Williams. I had apprehensions from going active to Guard. I would say a solid nine [out of ten]. Going from active duty, doing this full-time, day in and day out, from PTing from zero six to late nights doing war fighters, preparing for deployments, and all of the training - I had concerns. I didn’t have any exposure to the Guard prior. There were perceptions that gave me some apprehension but honestly, the Guard is the same, just different if that makes sense. There’s Guardisms that sometimes confuses me. Like when I came to the brigade, I was like, ‘Wait, explain to me how I am a part of a brigade? The math isn’t mathing.’ But it makes sense when you look at the size of the Guard and I can see how it works given the personnel and size of the force….It’s multifaceted and there’s tradeoffs. On the active side, you have guys who do their jobs day in and day out while on the Guard, you have Soldiers who are bit more dynamic. They may be business owners or work a full-time job in a completely different trade or career from their MOS. I’m impressed with the quality and caliber of individuals I’ve worked with [in the Guard]. You could drop them in anywhere and they’ll pick up the assignment and do it perfectly fine. Basically, it’s pros and cons. I can list all the pros on the acting component, compo one, but there’s also cons. It’s the same thing here [in the National Guard]. It's weighing out the pros and cons and which one's more beneficial for you. Both services play an important role, both have their purposes. Now, it’s all on the individual. You can have a great career in the guard and progress. It’s different from the active side, but it’s just a different half from the same coin.”

(U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terry Rajsombath)

05/10/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bopjxt2sl1g
From all of us at the Rhode Island National Guard, Happy Mother’s Day to the moms who serve in uniform, support those who do, and somehow still keep the whole operation running on time. Your strength, sacrifice, and ability to locate absolutely anything in the house remain unmatched. 💐

05/08/2026

On 7 May 2026, General Ken Wilsbach, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, visited Quonset Air National Guard Base, where he met with Airmen of the 143d Airlift Wing and received a mission brief. Wilsbach recognized SSgt Megan Faria and MSgt Joshua Travers for their outstanding service, dedication, and contributions to the wing’s mission. Their professionalism and commitment reflect the excellence of the 143d Airlift Wing and the United States Air Force.

(U.S. Air National Guard photos by Capt. Alexandra Curtis)