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April 24, 2026

Defense News: Nevada Guard maintenance unit deploys to support CENTCOM

Source: United States Army

STEAD, Nev. — The 150th Maintenance Company has deployed to the Middle East to support operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, marking the unit’s first deployment.

The Carson City-based unit serves as the primary maintenance element for the Nevada Army National Guard’s 17th Sustainment Brigade and is responsible for maintaining small arms, electronics and wheeled vehicles across the formation.

The unit supports multiple organizations, including the 72nd Military Police Company, 100th Quartermaster Company, 593rd Transportation Company, 1864th Medium Truck Company, 3665th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), and the 240th and 777th engineer units.

In recent years, the company has supported state and federal missions, responding to wildfires and floods across Northern Nevada while maintaining equipment readiness across the brigade. That experience has helped prepare the unit to deploy in support of operations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

During the unit’s deployment ceremony at the Washoe County Armory, Brig. Gen. Randy Lau, land component commander for the Nevada Army National Guard, spoke about the important role these Soldiers will play in the sustainment mission.

“Your work may not always be seen, but it makes victory possible,” Lau said. “Armies do not move, do not fight, and do not win without Soldiers like you. You are essential, and you are ready for this moment.”

As the 150th Maintenance Company embarks on its international mission, its dedication and expertise reflect the best of the Nevada Army National Guard. The community, families and fellow service members stand behind the unit, confident in its ability to meet any challenge and looking forward to its safe return home.

Defense News: HIMARS unit fires simultaneously across 700 miles, three states

Source: United States Army

BOISE, Idaho –On April 17, Lt. Col. Edward Guelfi gave the command for his battalion to fire at a simulated target at the Idaho Army National Guard’s Camp Orchard. Standing just south of Boise, he watched eight M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems fire two rounds each about 800 meters in front of him.

What he couldn’t see were three other HIMARS crews conducting the same firing mission at Yakima Training Center in Yakima, Washington, and another HIMARS crew firing at its own target at Dugway Proving Ground, southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah.

All 12 HIMARS fired simultaneously, despite being located nearly 700 miles apart.

“The ability for us to power project with this weapon system provides us the unique ability to place long range fires in the operations environment at any time and any place of our commander’s choosing,” said Guelfi.

The distance tested the unit’s ability to deliver precision strike capabilities in conditions that replicate the Indo-Pacific environment, where units may be distributed across multiple islands.

Guelfi, the battalion commander for the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, was one of 300 Soldiers who trained at Camp Orchard throughout April as part of I Corps’ Courage Lethality exercise.

“Courage Lethality is designed to validate how America’s First Corps would deploy, integrate and win the first fight alongside our multinational partners,” said Guelfi. “Long-range fires are fundamental to any decisive operation. They enable us to shape the battlefield, create windows of advantage and extend the reach of the joint force.”

HIMARS uses a three-Soldier crew to fire precision-guided munitions more than 180 miles.

Soldiers spent two weeks in April training at Camp Orchard and Yakima Training Center. On the morning of April 17, a HIMARS and crew traveled from Yakima to Dugway Proving Ground via a C-130 Hercules. The crew and weapon platform returned to Yakima following the successful fires mission.

“Operating in a distributed environment introduces challenges that can’t be solved through traditional methods or proximity-based command and control,” Guelfi said. “We’re learning how to leverage next-generation command and control systems to enable distributed fires without requiring physical co-location. That requires us to operate beyond line-of-sight and integrate new capabilities into our architecture. The gains we’re seeing are significant and they’re worth the friction required to refine and scale them.”

In addition to the battalion’s three locations, the 17th Field Artillery Brigade supported the exercise from Camp Rilea Armed Forces Training Center in Oregon and from its headquarters at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

“This exercise is not about simply employing our equipment,” Guelfi said. “It’s about testing systems, leaders and formations under combat-credible conditions that reflect how we expect to fight.”

To simulate combat conditions, the 1-94th Field Artillery Battalion provided opposing forces, and the unit trained alongside an international partner, the Australian Army’s 14th Regiment, 10th Brigade, which began fielding HIMARS in 2025.

“By virtue of HIMARS being a new piece of equipment for the Australian Army, the ongoing relationship between the 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment and the 14th Regiment has been exceptionally valuable and has provided us with excellent development opportunities,” said Maj. Nathan Imber of the 14th Regiment.

The 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment returned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord April 22.

Defense News in Brief: Honorable Jay Hurst and Lt. Gen. Steven Whitney Hold Press Briefing on the Department’s Fiscal Year 2027 Defense Budget

Source: United States Department of War

Jules “Jay” W. Hurst III, performing the duties of the War Department comptroller, and Lt. Gen. Steven P. Whitney, War Department joint staff director of force structure, resources and assessment, held a press briefing about the department’s fiscal 2027 budget.

April 23, 2026