ARLINGTON, Va. – As 2024 began, Soldiers with 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment, Nevada Army National Guard, were on duty along the Las Vegas Strip supporting state and local law enforcement as more than 400,000 people celebrated the New Year.
“People love to see us out here,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Sheire, a scout with the unit. “You can tell some are a little cautious at first, but then they see a smile. I think it helps them just enjoy a nice, safe holiday.”
The mission was one of many that National Guard members took part in during a year that saw continued overseas deployments, domestic response operations, training in large-scale exercises and many other events that kept Guard members busy.
For Soldiers with C Company, 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, Oklahoma Army National Guard, the year began with a deployment to Kosovo to provide aviation support to the 27-nation peacekeeping mission there.
Meanwhile, Soldiers with the 34th “Red Bull” Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard, deployed to the Middle East as part of Operation Spartan Shield, which maintains a U.S. military posture in the region to strengthen relationships and build partner capacity. The Red Bulls assumed the mission from 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard.
February saw Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, deploy to Djibouti to support Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. They took over the security mission from Task Force Tomahawk, comprised of Soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard.
“Tomahawk, your accomplishments and sacrifices only add excellence to your distinguished heritage,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jami Shawley, CJTF-HOA commanding general, as TF Tomahawk rotated home. “When Tomahawks of the future look back and talk about their distinguished legacy, the pride in their eyes when they talk about the shoulders of giants that they come from, those are your shoulders.”
Airmen with the 157th Air Refueling Wing, New Hampshire Air National Guard, deployed to the Middle East in September, becoming the first unit in the Air Force to operate the KC-46A Pegasus tanker during an operational deployment to a combatant command.
Members of the Tennessee Air National Guard’s 134th Air Refueling Wing also deployed to the Middle East earlier in the year for a similar mission. Operating out of Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, an aircrew with the unit provided critical aerial refueling during a coalition response to an Iranian-launched missile and drone strike against Israel in April.
Flying near the incoming missiles and drones with no defensive capabilities on their KC-135 Stratotanker, the aircrew supported fighter pilots intercepting the attack. The 11 aircrew members were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, honoring acts of heroism or extraordinary achievement in aerial flight.
“The aircrew knew the risks,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Willis Parker, a pilot with the unit and one of the awardees. “But as tanker crews, we’re the lifeline for the fighters. If we don’t do our job, they can’t do theirs.”
Air National Guard fighter pilots helped intercept the attacks. Flying F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, they destroyed many of the drones and missiles in air-to-air combat.
Guard Soldiers and Airmen were on the ground when Tower 22, a small military installation near the Jordan-Syrian border, came under a similar drone attack in late January. Three Airmen with the 129th Rescue Wing, California Air National Guard, were among those injured in the attack.
Other Guard units deployed to numerous worldwide locations — including Poland and throughout the Pacific and Middle East — as part of Army, Air Force and joint operations.
“Our No. 1 primary mission is to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the 29th chief of the National Guard Bureau, of the deployments. “We are the combat reserve of the Army and Air Force. We are 20% of the Joint Force. This is where you live up to that.”
Guard members were just as busy at home, where their skills, equipment and training for the combat mission were instrumental during emergency responses to blizzards, hurricanes and wildfires.
More than 130 New York National Guard members kicked off 2024 by responding to heavy snowfall in the Buffalo region. The January storm dumped 17 inches of snow on the area, with temperatures as low as 9 degrees Fahrenheit and winds up to 40 mph. Guard members transported key supplies, staffed and operated warming centers and helped manage traffic.
Later in the year, Guard members from 18 states responded when Hurricane Helene, which made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm, dumped heavy rain on western North Carolina as it pushed north. The mountainous region was inundated with severe flooding that caused millions of dollars in damage and cut off many communities from surrounding areas.
“The first day we flew missions, we landed in a spot where, when we went over the mountain, we saw the road completely destroyed,” said Spc. Diego Effinger, an aircrew member with B Company, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard. “We know people aren’t getting in and out of there, so we’re making sure that people get food and water.”
By the end of response operations in late October, Guard members had rescued 869 people and 226 pets, transported more than 21,000 tons of cargo and executed more than 2,200 ground and air missions.
Guard Soldiers and Airmen simultaneously responded after Hurricane Milton landed Oct. 9 near Sarasota, Florida, as a Category 3 storm and barreled across the state before heading out into the Atlantic.
Earlier, in the summer, aircrews with the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, responded to wildfires in the Golden State. Using C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System, they dropped thousands of gallons of fire retardant and water on the wildfires. Additional aircrews with the 153rd Airlift Wing, Wyoming Air National Guard, and the 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, assisted with their MAAFS-equipped C-130s. Arizona Army National Guard aircrews used UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to help douse the flames.
Guard members also responded to wildfires in Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Massachusetts and Texas.
Other Guard elements looked to the future with Project Theia, a test program that uses artificial intelligence to predict a wildfire’s path and where response efforts will be needed.
Named after the Greek goddess of sight, Theia centralizes video data and applies AI solutions to increase situational awareness among those responding.
“This technology, simply put, is going to take us to the next level in not only how we coordinate with local agencies, but the speed in which we can help save lives,” said Michael Wisniewski, chief data officer with the Army National Guard’s communications and computers directorate.
Project Theia wasn’t the only area Guard members tested potential new equipment.
Soldiers with the North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia Army National Guard received the Army’s next generation squad weapons, including the XM7 rifle, the XM250 automatic rifle and the XM157 fire control system, for evaluation to potentially replace the M4 carbine, M249 squad automatic weapon and M240 machine gun.
“The XM7, compared to the M4, is definitely a step up,” said Cpl. Joseph Negron, a scout assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, South Carolina Army Guard. “The rifle is a little bit heavier, but its accuracy is definitely worth the extra weight.”
Meanwhile, Guard Soldiers and Airmen participated in numerous large-scale training exercises during the year.
In March, Soldiers with the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Vermont Army National Guard, trained alongside soldiers with the Canadian army’s 35th Canadian Brigade Group during exercise Guerrier Nordique. The exercise tested and honed the Soldiers’ capabilities in an Arctic environment.
Airmen with the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing, who fly the U.S. military’s only ski-equipped C-130 cargo aircraft, provided air transportation during the exercise, which included U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel.
Other multinational training exercises Guard units took part in included Exercise African Lion in Morocco, Exercise Balikatan in the Philippines and the Defender Europe series of exercises.
At home, Guard members rotated to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, and the Northern Strike exercise at the National All Domain Warfighting Center, Michigan. Hosted by the Michigan National Guard, Northern Strike included more than 6,300 participants from nearly every U.S. service branch and several partner nations.
Many partner nations at Northern Strike and other training exercises were part of the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program, which pairs Guard elements with partner nations worldwide for mutual training and subject matter expert exchanges. The SPP continued to grow in its 31st year, adding six partnerships.
Those new partnerships include the Indiana and Oklahoma National Guard in a joint pairing with Saudi Arabia, the Virginia National Guard and Finland, Gabon and the West Virginia National Guard, the New York National Guard and Sweden, the Guam National Guard and Palau, and Sierra Leone with the Michigan National Guard.
With those additions, the SPP now comprises 115 partnerships.
Another nine partnerships — Angola, Cotè d’Ivoire, Mauritius, Mexico, Portugal, the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Republic of Seychelles, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates — are planned for 2025.
“The National Guard continues to forge enduring trust with nations across the globe,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Andrew Chilcoat, chief of international affairs with the National Guard Bureau, which oversees the SPP. “This helps to build U.S. and partner capabilities as part of the U.S. security cooperation enterprise, facilitating collaboration across all aspects of international civil-military affairs and encouraging people-to-people ties.”
During 2024, the Guard also welcomed new senior leaders.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus took the reins as the 30th CNGB in October, with Hokanson, the outgoing CNGB, retiring after nearly 40 years of service. In November, Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines took over as the senior enlisted advisor to the CNGB from SEA Tony Whitehead, who retired with 42 years of service.
“Everything I do in this role will be in the service of our people so we can ensure mission success,” said Nordhaus. “Every policy we improve, every nation and community we visit and every decision we make will put our elite Soldiers, Airmen and civilians front and center. You bring strength, courage and honor to this organization. Without you, we cannot succeed.”
In August, the Army National Guard welcomed Lt. Gen. Jon Stubbs as its new director. Lt. Gen. Jon Jensen, the outgoing director, retired with over 40 years of service.
And as the Guard celebrated its 388th birthday on Dec. 13, Soldiers and Airmen with the Nevada National Guard were preparing for the annual mission of assisting local authorities with crowd control, safety and medical support during New Year’s celebrations along the Las Vegas Strip.
“The coordination prior to missions ensures success at execution,” said U.S. Army Maj. Timothy Frederick, a plans officer with the Nevada Guard. “Planning and working together before an incident are critical.”
Other Guard members were gearing up for deployments or training missions and another year of being “Always Ready, Always There.”
Contributing to this report: Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely, Leanna Maschino, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh, U.S. Army Sgt. Jalen Miller, Senior Master Sgt. Timothy Huffman, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Taylor Nave, U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Jason Carr, U.S. Army Cpl. Carlos Parra, U.S. Army Maj. Leslie Reed, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Erich Smith, U.S. Army Maj. Karla Evans, U.S. Army Maj. Mikel Arcovitch, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Allison Stephens