Virginia National Guard

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 rifle 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

08/13/2026

Soldiers past and present, senior leaders and guests gathered at Fort Pickett to mark the inactivation of the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team.

The ceremony honored generations of troopers who served with the squadron and celebrated the history, traditions and esprit de corps they carry forward. The squadron’s inactivation is part of the ongoing Army Transformation Initiative.

📸 See more from the ceremony: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD2j1i

08/11/2026

Soldiers past and present came together at Fort Pickett for the “Last Ride,”the final Spur Ride for the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment.

As the squadron moves toward inactivation as part of the Army Transformation Initiative, troopers gathered to test their skills, earn their spurs and celebrate the history, traditions and esprit de corps that have defined the squadron.

📸 See more from the Last Ride: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD25Cm

08/10/2026

Lt. Col. Joshua L. Favaro and Command Sgt. Maj. Donald W. Spring Jr., command team for the Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineer Battalion, case the unit’s colors signifying the battalion’s deactivation Aug. 8, 2026, at the Mason-Ruhren Readiness Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Col. Art Moore, commander of the Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team, presided over the ceremony, which featured remarks from multiple former Endurance Battalion unit leaders. The 229th BEB’s deactivation is part of the 116th’s transformation from an infantry brigade combat team to a MBCT, part of the Army’s Transformation in Contact 2.0 modernization strategy.

More photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjD2a8b