Nordhaus Underscores National Guard’s Indispensable Role
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus testified that the National Guard delivered a record‑breaking 2025, executing precision airstrikes against Iran, rescuing flood‑stricken children in Texas, and responding to cyber and civil emergencies. Guard units logged more than 2.4 million domestic support hours and removed $15 billion in illicit narcotics, while 42,000 Guardsmen remain engaged worldwide across every combatant command. Nordhaus urged Congress to fund modernisation, address a reimbursement gap for state‑active‑duty activations, and streamline duty‑status reforms. He highlighted the State Partnership Program’s reach to 60% of nations at just 1% of the security‑cooperation budget.
Washington Guard Builds Readiness with New Executive Officer Course
Washington Army National Guard debuted its first Executive Officer Course on April 11‑12 at Camp Murray, a two‑day program designed to ready junior lieutenants for company‑level executive officer duties. The curriculum emphasized logistics, legal processes, command discipline and administrative tasks,...
Increased Airspace Enhances Wisconsin National Guard Training
The Wisconsin Army National Guard conducted its first small‑UAS training in statewide Class G airspace at the Arcadia Armory on April 1, 2026, following a new FAA authorization. The approval expands permissible training sites from three to 24 locations, with eight more...
Washington Guard, Thai Partners Strengthen Port Emergency Response
The Washington Army National Guard teamed with Thai partners for a week‑long emergency‑response exchange at the Port of Laem Chabang and Sri Racha Hospital in March 2026. The drill simulated a lithium‑battery fire and a shipboard pandemic, testing all‑hazard incident‑command and patient‑evacuation...
Florida National Guard Partners with Greece in State Partnership Program
The Florida National Guard has been officially designated as Greece’s partner in the U.S. State Partnership Program, creating a long‑term framework for joint military activities. The partnership will focus on joint training, maritime security, cyber defense, infrastructure protection, and disaster...
Florida Air Defense Battalion Trains with 82nd Airborne in First Minuteman Rotation
The Florida Army National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment completed its first Minuteman Rotation by training alongside the 82nd Airborne Division at the Joint Readiness Training Center from March 15‑20, 2026. The Minuteman concept synchronizes Guard annual...
Massachusetts Guard, Kenya Strengthen Partnership at African Land Forces Summit
Massachusetts National Guard leaders joined Kenyan Defence Forces at the African Land Forces Summit in Rome, a U.S. Army‑hosted event that gathered over 300 senior officials from 40 nations. The summit emphasized dual‑use technologies and industry partnerships to address shared...
Nevada Guard Soldiers Strengthen ROK-US Alliance During Freedom Shield 2026
Nevada National Guard soldiers from the 17th Sustainment Brigade took part in Exercise Freedom Shield 2026, a ten‑day multinational command‑post drill in South Korea. The unit embedded with the Eighth Army Interoperability Directorate and the new Combined Ground Component Command,...
Nebraska National Guard and Tanzania Formalize State Partnership
On March 12, 2026, the Nebraska National Guard and Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces signed a formal letter of intent, officially adding Tanzania to the U.S. National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program. The agreement builds on joint exercises in 2025‑26 and...
'Bury Them:' Alaska Army Guard's Avalanche Company Hones Lethality
From March 20‑22, the Alaska Army National Guard’s Avalanche Company executed a live‑fire Infantry Platoon Battle Course at Joint Base Elmendorf‑Richardson, testing squad movement, marksmanship and coordinated attacks in deep snow. Soldiers wore snowshoes and over‑white pants to blend into the...
Florida National Guard Builds Readiness Through Joint Training
The Florida National Guard held its first joint Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) spray certification in decades at Camp Blanding, involving more than 100 soldiers from Army and Air Guard units. The 715th Military Police Company and the 125th Security Forces Squadron...
NY Army Guard's Cyber Protection Team 173 Fights Computer Battle During Kingston Armory Exercise
From February 23‑26, 2026, the New York Army National Guard’s Cyber Protection Team 173 conducted a four‑day simulated ransomware attack against an electrical utility at the Kingston Armory, using the U.S. Cyber Command’s Persistent Cyber Training Environment. Thirty‑four soldiers, many...
Wyoming National Guard Grows HIMARS Force Through Transition Course
The Wyoming National Guard is expanding its field artillery capability by running a 13M HIMARS transition course at Camp Guernsey on March 20, 2026. The program converts experienced soldiers from other MOSs into qualified HIMARS crew members, blending classroom instruction with realistic...
Presidio Endeavor Sharpens Wisconsin National Guard Readiness
The Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs hosted the inaugural Presidio Endeavor wargame on March 11‑12, bringing together the state National Guard’s joint Army and Air staffs, emergency management officials, U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau. Designed by wargame...
Pennsylvania Army National Guard Soldiers Place 2nd in Lithuania Land Forces Best Infantry Squad Competition
Pennsylvania Army National Guard soldiers competed in Lithuania’s Best Infantry Squad Competition for the first time, finishing second among foreign teams. The eight‑person squad faced 10 Lithuanian squads and units from Germany, Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and two active‑component U.S....