W. Va. Guard to Support President Trump’s Initiative to Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful
August 20, 2025 — At the direction of Governor Patrick Morrisey the WVNG is supporting President Donald Trump’s initiative to restore cleanliness and safety to Washington, D.C... MORE

Crowd shots of people in military camo uniform

New partnership between West Virginia University and Gabon’s premier scientific research institute
August 20, 2025 — A new partnership between West Virginia University (WVU) and Gabon’s premier scientific research institute has opened access to global academic resources for a leading Gabonese scientist, marking a milestone for the new, long-term State Partnership Program (SPP) between Gabon and the West Virginia National Guard... MORE

Patriot Pop-Up’ Opens at Capitol Market, Showcasing Veteran Entrepreneurs
August 18, 2025 — On Tuesday, Aug. 7, the West Virginia National Guard’s Patriot Guardens program joined Charleston, West Virginia’s Capitol Market and community partners for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the “Patriot Pop-Up”. Coinciding with National Market Week, it highlights continued collaboration between agriculture and veteran entrepreneurship in West Virginia. The Patriot Pop-Up is a dedicated space at Capitol Market for Veterans to sell and highlight both products and small veteran-run businesses... MORE

Charlie West Airmen Demonstrate Deployment Readiness during Certification Exercise
July 19, 2025 — Airmen from the 167th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES), based in West Virginia, recently completed a rigorous certification event in Alpena, Michigan, showcasing their operational readiness and deployment capabilities alongside sister units from across the country. ... MORE

West Virginia Army National Guard Medical Readiness Detachment Earns National Recognition for FY2024
July 14, 2025 — The West Virginia Army National Guard’s Medical Readiness Detachment (MEDDET) located in South Charleston, West Virginia, was recognized early in April 2025, as the top-performing unit for overall medical readiness among medium-sized states for Fiscal Year 2024. This prestigious national distinction highlights the unit’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the health and deployability of the WVARNG’s Soldiers... MORE

a soldier works on a "bloodied" medical dummy outside

First maritime infrastructure training of its kind supported by W.Va. National Guard
July 1, 2025 — April 11, 2025, marked a milestone for the West Virginia National Guard’s Army Interagency Training and Education Center U.S. Coast Guard Port Security and Resiliency Assessment Team when it joined the U.S. Army Reserve Civil Affairs unit based out of Syracuse, New York, to provide Soldiers with foundational maritime security knowledge, familiarization with port infrastructure, and assessment methodology, all essential for future mission success in coastal environments... MORE

130th Airlift Wing Soars in Remote Ops Exercise, Mastering Agile Combat Skills
June 25, 2025 — Airmen from the 130th Airlift Wing recently completed an exercise focused on demonstrating the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) and Mission Ready Airman (MRA) concepts through a C-130J remote operations mission... MORE

W.Va. Guard flood response update for June 19th
June 19, 2025 — Closing out the day on June 19, 2025, the West Virginia National Guard has upwards of 170 Soldiers,... MORE

photos of the adjutant general in uniform talking at a press conference with the governor, visiting people, sitting around a conference table.

Gold Star Families keep names alive during annual West Virginia weekend retreat

Cadets with the Mountaineer Challenge Academy spend the morning putting together a boot display for the Gold Star families on September 27, 2024 at Camp Dawson in Kingwood, West Virginia, as a part of the annual Gold Star Families Retreat hosted by the West Virginia National Guard. Since its first congressional designation in 1936, the last Sunday in September has been recognized as “Gold Star Mother’s Day” and in 2012 was declared “Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day”. The West Virginia National Guard hosts Gold Star families from West Virginia and Pennsylvania annually at Camp Dawson for three days of fellowship and remembrance. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Lorie Hayes)

PHOTO BY: Sgt. 1st Class Ariana Shuemake

VIRIN: 240927-Z-A3556-1005.JPG

FULL SIZE: 2.18 MB

Additional Details

CAMERA

iPhone 13

LENS

iPhone 13 back dual wide camera 5.1mm f/1.6

APERTURE

16/10

SHUTTERSPEED

1/60

ISO

250

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