West Virginia, D.C. Guard members compete in Qatar for historic 2025 Best Warrior Competition
February 10, 2025 — Sixty-five service members from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guard traveled 7,000 miles to Qatar’s National Service Academy for the 2025 Best Warrior Competition—the first held with a State Partnership Program nation and the first where a partner nation’s armed forces competed alongside U.S. forces. ... MORE

soldiers carrying ruck sacks walk down a dirt road into a sunrise

W.Va. National Guard Chaplain strengthens international partnerships at Africa Chaplains Summit
February 4, 2025 — Chaplain (Maj.) Justin Elliott represented the West Virginia National Guard at the Africa Chaplains Summit, hosted by U.S. Africa Command in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24-28, 2025. The summit aimed to strengthen relationships, exchange best practices and enhance engagement through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program by bringing together military chaplains from partner nations... MORE

Chaplain (Maj.) Justin Elliott represented the West Virginia National Guard at the Africa Chaplains Summit, hosted by U.S. Africa Command in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24-28, 2025. The summit aimed to strengthen relationships, exchange best practices and enhance engagement through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program by bringing together military chaplains from partner nations.

WV Adjutant General announced by Gov. Patrick Morrisey
January 29, 2025 — On Jan. 28, 2025, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced the appointment of additional cabinet secretaries and key staff, including Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard... MORE

Camp Conley 2025 applications released
January 21, 2025 — We are so excited to release the 2025 WVNG Kids Kamp/Camp Conley applications!... MORE

We are so excited to send you the 2025 WVNG Kids Kamp/Camp Conley applications! Our 2025 program theme from NGB this year is “National Guard Kids: Your Adventure Starts Here!” and let me say this camp is most certainly an adventure! The schedule looks amazing, and we have so much fun packed into it including camp traditions such as firing ranges, EST, static displays, high line, fishing, swimming, rappel tower, drill & ceremony, and camp dance! We have some amazing end-of-camp plans underway, but it will be hard to top the carnival last year. We are surely going to try our best! Don’t miss out, register today.

As a recap:
• Dates: 22-27 June 2025
• Location: Camp Dawson, Kingwood WV
• For who: Military dependents ages 9-14, TagAlongs ages 5-8
• Cost:
o Campers, ages 9-14: $100 if registered between now and 1 April. Late registration goes from 2 April to 15 May and will be $125.00
o TagALongs, ages 5-8: $75.00 if registered between now and 1 April. Late registration goes from 2 April to 15 May and will be $100.00
o Youth Volunteers, ages 16-17: $50.00, registration deadline, 15 May.
o Adult Volunteers, ages 18 $ up: $50.00, due to background checks, registration deadline, 1 May.

Change of command ceremony marks Sigler's transition to lead 167th Airlift Wing
January 17, 2025 — A change of command ceremony to mark the transition of wing leadership was held at the 167th Airlift Wing, Shepherd Field, Martinsburg, West Virginia, Jan. 12... MORE

two men in uniform grip a guidon on a stage

167th Airlift Wing Airman Spotlight January 2025
January 17, 2025 — U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jessica Dubé is the First Sergeant for the 167th Medical Group and she is the 167th Airlift Wing Airman Spotlight for January 2025... MORE

West Virginia public affairs Soldiers train NATO troops in Kosovo
January 13, 2025 — West Virginia Army National Guard’s 153rd Public Affairs Detachment, currently deployed in support of Kosovo Force Regional Command East, conducted a Unit Public Affairs Representative training program for more than 30 soldiers from four countries on Dec. 23, 2024... MORE

A man in camo uniform address a group of multinational soldiers in an auditorium from a stage, with a slide show presentation behind him.

The Guard in 2024: Deployments, hurricanes, wildfires and new leadership
January 6, 2025 — National Guard members took part in thousands of missions 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. 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. ... MORE

U.S. Army Sgt. Isaac Bradshaw, a combat medic with C Company, 230th Brigade Support Battalion, North Carolina Army National Guard, wraps his arms around an older couple and uses his body to block them from debris and strong winds produced by the rotor wash of a landing CH-47 Chinook helicopter in Burnsville, North Carolina, Oct. 10, 2024. The Chinook crew responded in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, bringing generators, fuel, and other supplies to the remote area that was isolated when floodwaters washed away the main road in and out of the area.

Image Gallery

2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (A) Change of Command

West Virginia Army National Guard Lt. Col. Michael J. Susick assumes command of the 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), from Lt. Col. Robert V. Luther III during a change of command ceremony at the Kenova Armed Forces Readiness Center in Kenova, West Virginia, on September 14, 2024. The 2/19th SFG (A) is composed of Headquarters Company, Support Company, and Forward Support Company, all based in Kenova, W.Va., Company C in Kingwood, W.Va., Company A in Middletown, Rhode Island, and Company B in Columbus, Ohio. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Ayla Cameron)

PHOTO BY: Spc. Ayla Cameron

VIRIN: 240914-Z-ED194-1013.JPG

FULL SIZE: 2.98 MB

Additional Details

CAMERA

Canon EOS 7D

LENS

EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM

APERTURE

SHUTTERSPEED

1/125

ISO

3200

IMAGE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN

This photograph is considered public domain and has been cleared for release. If you would like to republish please give the photographer appropriate credit. Further, any commercial or non-commercial use of this photograph or any other DoD image must be made in compliance with guidance found at https://www.dimoc.mil/resources/limitations, which pertains to intellectual property restrictions (e.g., copyright and trademark, including the use of official emblems, insignia, names and slogans), warnings regarding use of images of identifiable personnel, appearance of endorsement, and related matters.

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Video by Sgt. Cheryl Madolev, Staff Sgt. Mickey Miller, Sgt. Davis Rohrer

WVNG Best Warrior Competition 2024 Video

153rd Public Affairs Detachment

March 19, 2024 | 4:11

Soldiers and Airmen from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guard compete in the West Virginia National Guard Best Warrior Competition held April 19-21, 2024, at Camp Dawson in Kingwood, West Virginia. Best Warrior is an annual event where participants compete in a series of warrior training tasks including weapons proficiency on the M4 rifle, 9mm pistol, land navigation, physical fitness, combat first aid, tactical movements, communications, and professional development activities. Photos by 153rd Public Affairs Det., WVARNG