Category: Security

Source: United States Army

Chièvres Air Base, Belgium – After six months with the 424th Air Base Squadron (424 ABS), two Army Staff Sergeants are going back to their home stations with a rare achievement – official U.S. Air Force (USAF) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) fixed-wing air traffic control certifications, expanding their expertise beyond Army aviation.

Staff Sgt. Zadeia Tyndle and Staff Sgt. Sean Lalonde arrived in early January to integrate with the Air Traffic Control (ATC) team. The joint training was approved by United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Force Africa operations and support division and designed to allow Army controllers to obtain USAF and FAA certifications while working with different operations and airframes.

Capt. Michael Ober, 424 ABS airfield operations flight commander, noted that this was the first time the 424 ABS hosted this type of cross-service training, making it a uniquely valuable and rare event in the region.

“The Army aviation fleet primarily consists of rotary-wing aircraft, with only a small handful of fixed-wing aircraft,” explained Ober. “This makes Army ATC very specialized in rotary-wing operations which is, in general, less complex. By training at a fixed-wing facility, the Army controllers greatly expand their skills and capabilities.”

This program also solved a unique readiness challenge for the Air Force controllers stationed at Chièvres. Because the facility typically only receives fully qualified tower controllers who require minimal local onboarding, the Airmen rarely get the chance to practice their instructional skills.

The Soldiers received training in front loading and equipment familiarization, ground control, control of vehicles and aircraft on the runway, control of local airspace, coordinating with local authorities and more. Staff Sgt. Kevin Hallam, 424 ABS air traffic control watch supervisor, noted the additional benefits of working on an international airfield.

“A unique aspect of this program at Chièvres is the level of communication with pilots from all over the European Union,” said Hallam. “The aircraft that they fly are just as varied as the nationalities of the pilots themselves. We are exposed to a wide variety of aircraft that controllers in other locations do not get to experience.”

Additional teams of two controllers have been sent to train across Germany, making this initiative a top priority for battalion leadership. By the time the Soldiers depart, they will return to their units not only with new certifications but with a broadened perspective on joint-force aviation operations.

Source: United States Army

CLAY KASERNE, Germany – When Sgt. Kevin Dunnaway envisioned his farewell, he didn’t picture a polished conference room but instead chose the place that over the last three years had become genuinely dear to his heart: the recycling center on the Lucius D. Clay Kaserne.

Dunnaway, a broadcast specialist with American Forces Network Europe, spent his time in Germany producing creative media content, hosting radio shows, shooting photography, and championing sustainability.

His unconventional choice of venue for his farewell was a reflection of who he is.

“I chose the recycling center because I wanted something different, something interesting that most people don’t do,” explained Dunnaway.

Dunnaway also emphasized the practical benefits the facility provides to Soldiers and families. The recycling center features a reuse center where departing community members can donate still-usable items before a PCS, allowing others to repurpose them and reduce waste in the process.

“It’s like a thrift shop, but it’s free. The reuse center makes it super easy for people to reduce waste and fill their house with all the goods of consumerism without paying all their hard-earned money,” said Dunnaway.

During the ceremony, Dunnaway was presented with the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his outstanding service as a broadcast journalist and content creator. But the recognition that resonated most came from the words of his fellow Soldiers, who spoke not only to his professional talent, but to his genuine love for the Wiesbaden community.

“Sometimes I’d come in just to handle some errands on the weekends, and I’d see him literally going into the bins and taking stuff out of the trash that should be in the recycling and putting it over in the recycling,” said Sgt.

Benjamin Percy, radio team lead at AFN. “So what he may not always be able to put into words super well, you can see just in his actions how much he cares about the Wiesbaden community. He is just a fantastic person.”

Now headed to Mississippi for his next chapter, Dunnaway leaves behind a legacy of creativity, environmental stewardship, and a farewell ceremony no one is likely to forget.

“I thought it was funny, and I wasn’t really surprised. After working with him for so long, you get to know someone,” said Percy. “It definitely caught me off guard at first, but I think it was very fitting for it to be here [at the recycling center]. I think he made a good choice.”

Source: United States Army

TAPA, Estonia — The alarm broke the silence just before 2 a.m. Outside, the rain had finally eased after falling on and off for nearly two days, leaving the gravel trails slick with mud and scattered puddles. The air was cold enough that every breath lingered beneath the glow of headlamps cutting through the darkness. There were no loud cheers waiting at the starting line, no countdown clock and little conversation. Just the quiet shuffle of runners tightening their shoes for another four-mile run.

Hosted by the British Army’s Royal Welsh, the 4x4x48 endurance challenge brought together U.S. and allied service members to complete four miles every four hours for 48 consecutive hours in support of mental health awareness. The event ultimately raised more than £3,000 for mental health initiatives while creating opportunities for service members from multiple nations to share the challenge together. For 1st Lt. James Pyle, this wasn’t simply another leg of the race; it was his 11th.

Over the previous 36 hours, every alarm had been answered. Every four-hour interval meant pulling on wet running shoes, stepping back onto the uneven Estonian roads and putting one foot in front of the other. While many soldiers participated on and off throughout the weekend, Pyle committed to every leg of the challenge, covering all 48 miles from the first run to the last.

“Sgt. Max Navas and I are pretty big runners, and we had never run anything like this before,” Pyle said. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and really push ourselves.”

The challenge demanded more than endurance. Sleep came in short intervals. Muscles stiffened between runs. By the time the 2 a.m. run arrived, the excitement of the opening miles had given way to quiet determination. The only sounds were shoes striking wet gravel, water splashing beneath each step, and the steady rhythm of breathing carried into the cold night air.

While the challenge tested participants physically, its purpose reached well beyond endurance. Held in support of Combat Stress, the United Kingdom’s leading veterans’ mental health charity, the event raised awareness for veterans living with the invisible wounds of military service while encouraging open conversations about combat mental health. The 4x4x48 challenge reminded participants that supporting one another is just as important as reaching the finish line.

Somewhere along those quiet miles, interoperability became more than a military objective. It became a conversation between runners sharing the same trail, the same cold air and the same determination to keep moving forward.

“It’s good for interoperability, and it’s good to talk to allies,” Pyle said. “Especially out here when it’s two in the morning and you make small talk while you’re running.”

At 2 a.m., no one knew exactly how they would feel 12 hours later. The finish line still waited through one more alarm, four more miles and another morning of tired legs. Yet as the beams of their headlamps disappeared into the darkness, none of that seemed to matter. The only thing any runner could control was the next step, pressing forward through the mud, the cold and the darkness toward a purpose greater than the miles themselves.

Source: United States Army

SALT LAKE CITY – Millions of years ago, pterosaurs roamed the skies. In June, UH-60 Black Hawk and UH-72 Lakota helicopters assigned to the 2-211th Aviation Regiment, Utah Army National Guard, along with a CH-47 Chinook from the 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment, Nevada National Guard, took flight over Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument for a unique mission: helping airlift multiple rock-encased dinosaur fossils for the Natural History Museum of Utah and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

“We excavated an entire skeleton of a baby duck-billed dinosaur, an animal that probably from tip of the head to tip of the tail, was only 2 or 3 ft. long,” said Randall Irmis, curator of paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Utah. “All the bones were still in life position, so they were still connected. If you imagine all the vertebrae in the tail and the backbone, all the leg bones were still connected in life position, and that’s really, really rare.”

While the animal was relatively small, the fossilized remains weighed more than 1,100 pounds encased in rock.

In addition to Utah Guardsmen assisting with the duck-billed dinosaur skeleton, Nevada National Guard aviators assigned to the 1-189th Aviation Regiment supported scientists from North Carolina by using a Chinook helicopter to lift a 4,000-pound fossilized ornithomimid, a theropod dinosaur that resembled a modern-day ostrich. Each fossil will be transported to its respective museum for study and preparation before eventual public display.

The Utah museum team has worked at the dig site since 2024. After two seasons of excavation, the duck-billed dinosaur skeleton was unearthed and wrapped in a cast made of burlap and plaster to protect the fossils during aerial transport provided by the Utah National Guard’s 2-211th Aviation Regiment and the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

“We are really excited to work with the National Guard,” said Irmis. “Not only to have all their awesome team manpower with the riggers to get everything set, but also to take advantage of these heavy lift helicopters. We’re lucky when we get to use helicopters at all, but especially to have ones that can lift such a large load is really special.”

Missions like the airlift are part of the Innovative Readiness Training program, which provides real-world training opportunities for service members while supporting community needs. The mission showed the National Guard is ready not only to respond during emergencies, but also to support public agencies when they need assistance.

“I think a big part of the National Guard is just to help out the community,” said Spc. A.J. Goncalves, a parachute rigger assigned to the 19th SFG. “Whether that’s disaster relief, helping the scientific community, education, anything like that, we are more than happy to help.”

Citizen-Soldiers assisting their communities is central to the National Guard mission. For Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scott Hermansen, a Nevada pilot with a geology degree from Chico State University, the mission brought together two careers.

“This was a full circle moment given our background in geology,” he said. “Being able to offer our expertise to benefit the scientific community was phenomenal.”

Utah National Guard aviation assets support a variety of missions for the state, including water bucket drops, wildfire suppression and search and rescue. Pilots and riggers train to respond to any call, but airlifting a 76-million-year-old specimen was a unique mission for those involved.

“Seeing a military helicopter carry a 76 million year old piece of history like that is really something special,” said Spc. Kartchner Perkins, a crew chief with the 2-211th. “It’s something that’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.”

The opportunity provided Soldiers with lasting memories and valuable training they can apply to future missions.

“It was a really cool experience being able to work in this terrain and this environment,” said Goncalves. “It really prepares us for adaptability and flexibility when it comes to missions like this. I was super excited to be a part of it.”

The National Guard airlift is just the beginning of the fossils’ journey. Paleontologists at the museum will open the casts, meticulously remove rock from the fossils and add adhesive to cracks or breaks. The fossils will then be studied and preserved at the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, where the public can participate in the prehistoric discovery.

“It’s really important to preserve them for everybody because these fossils are from public lands,” said Irmis. “These are owned by all American citizens and we care for them in the public trust back at the museum and share them through exhibits and all sorts of other content that we produce.”

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

Representatives of Togo’s National Civil Protection Agency conducted a major training preparation meeting with disaster-relief experts from North Dakota and civil affairs Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) in Lome, Togo, June 12, in advance of a practical exercise.

This gathering was part of Operation Lignite Coast 2026, the overall training event conducted June 8-18, focused on improving the Togolese government’s ability to respond to a variety of emergency situations.

Togolese Lt. Col. Yoma Baka, director general for the NCPA, presented the majority of the workshop’s content, providing attendees with a common understanding of the exercise.

“This particular meeting was especially significant as the schedule led up to a culminating practical exercise in the field,” said U.S. Army Capt. Euston Harp, team chief for Civil Affairs Team Togo, Alpha Company, Civil Affairs Battalion, SETAF-AF. “It identified specific tasks, duties and roles among the relevant players in the training scenarios.”

Harp emphasized that the NPCA already possesses a solid foundation for conducting civil affairs, humanitarian aid and incident response, but like disaster-relief professionals in the U.S., they understand there is always room to improve. This training maintains readiness and identifies gaps in their processes prior to an actual emergency.

“With continued training with partners in the North Dakota National Guard, their capacity for readiness will continue to improve even more,” Harp said.

According to Sherry Adams, North Dakota state health officer and Southwestern District Health Unit executive officer, the Togolese began the initial groundwork for planning Lignite Coast in December 2025. In February 2026 and later in April, advanced teams from the Peace Garden State met with counterparts in Togo to refine training content, which required considering the subsequent emergencies that could follow precipitating events, like floods and other natural disasters.

“As part of that planning, we determined what we could do best to support the Togolese in their mission … specifically for disaster preparedness and working with the NCPA [Togo’s equivalent of the Federal Emergency Management Agency],” Adams said. “With almost every disaster, they face the potential for a disease outbreak, such as cholera, so involving their health ministry is a huge component of their preparedness.”

Togo and North Dakota have worked together as partners through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program for more than 12 years. American participants consisted of North Dakota civilian state employees and Soldiers assigned to the North Dakota National Guard.

“The overall goal is always building capacity and relationships with our partners in Togo, and specifically for this trip, with the NCPA,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Al Roehrich, Lignite Coast lead planner for the North Dakota National Guard and deputy director of the North Dakota Domestic Operations Branch. “The Togolese are very confident in what they do, but they do see the U.S. and the North Dakota National Guard as subject matter experts. When we bring in people from multiple agencies like the Department of Emergency Services and different outreach programs from North Dakota State University, it allows us to connect our private and public industry with their private and public industry, so if there’s something they can’t resource in Togo, sometimes other agencies can.”

Roehrich noted that partnerships, like those fostered in the SPP, also benefit and further develop U.S. disaster-relief professionals. When interactions with partners occur overseas, they allow American military and civilian personnel to see different points of view while factoring in different complications (such as food scarcity and power grid issues beyond urban centers), which are not always pressing concerns in the U.S.

“This experience gives us some shared understanding of how other countries operate because when you get outside of the United States, everything is different,” Roehrich said.

Roehhrich concluded by pointing out improvements to U.S. readiness, among other benefits of working with overseas partners.

“These interactions allow our people to bring their expertise to another part of the world,” Roehrich said. “For the North Dakota National Guard, it’s a wonderful opportunity for younger Soldiers and senior leaders to travel and learn the world from a different perspective while building partner capacity.”

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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Source: United States Army

FORT HARRISON, Mont. — Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment (General Support Aviation), and Airmen from the 219th Red Horse Squadron successfully executed the first operational joint sling load mission between the two units June 26, during a field training exercise designed to strengthen the Montana National Guard’s domestic operations capabilities.

During the mission, a CH-47 Chinook helicopter assigned to the 1-189th GSAB transported an MEP-806 power generator by sling load from Fort Harrison to the Limestone Hills Training Area, where the generator was installed to provide power to a tower.

Although the two units have trained together on sling load procedures in the past, this marked the first mission with a defined operational end state: delivering and employing the generator at its destination. The mission demonstrated the Montana National Guard’s ability to integrate Army aviation and Air National Guard engineering capabilities to accomplish real-world objectives.

“This training is about building capability before it’s needed,” said Brig. Gen. Trent Gibson, the adjutant general of Montana. “When our Soldiers and Airmen combine their unique capabilities, we become a stronger and more capable organization. Exercises like this strengthen our readiness and ensure we’re prepared whenever we’re called upon.”

The operation required planning and coordination between Army aviators and Airmen from the 219th Red Horse Squadron. Army flight crews completed flight planning and final sling load inspections, while Red Horse personnel inspected, rigged and certified the MEP-806 power generator for external transport.

“Working alongside the Montana Army National Guard makes both organizations stronger,” said Master Sgt. Matthew Ammons, an engineering craftsman assigned to the 219th Red Horse Squadron. “By combining our engineering capabilities with Army aviation, we’re able to respond more effectively to whatever mission our state or nation requires.”

The mission also highlighted the specialized training required to safely conduct sling load operations. Several members of the 219th Red Horse Squadron have completed Air Assault School, earning certification in sling load procedures and bringing those skills back to Montana.

“These missions begin with extensive training,” Ammons said. “Several of our Airmen have completed Air Assault School, where they earn certification in sling load operations and other specialized skills. That training allows us to safely move personnel, equipment and resources by air wherever they’re needed.”

Following delivery to the Limestone Hills Training Area, the generator was installed to power the tower, completing the mission’s operational objective and validating a capability to support future domestic operations.

“Every organization involved in domestic operations brings unique capabilities to the mission,” said Master Sgt. Robert Johnson, logistics superintendent for the 219th Red Horse Squadron. “The 219th Red Horse has specialized equipment and engineering expertise, while the Army provides the aviation capability to move us and our equipment. When we come together, our ability to reach locations across Montana is multiplied, allowing us to respond faster and more effectively.”

The joint mission was one of several events conducted during the field training exercise, which focused on strengthening the Montana National Guard’s domestic operations capabilities through realistic, integrated training. By successfully transporting and employing an MEP-806 power generator at Limestone Hills, Soldiers and Airmen validated a capability that further strengthens the Montana National Guard’s ability to operate as a unified force in support of state and federal missions.

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard

Source: United States Army

FORT STEWART, Ga. — “Return fire! Apply self aid! Get to cover!” screamed a medic assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as he tried to make his way to the wounded Soldier on the battlefield. Waiting for fire superiority, while it only took minutes, felt like it had been hours since he saw the wounded Soldier fall down. With sweat dripping down his face and his heart racing, he was finally able to move and he rushed to the Soldier’s aid, hastily applying the tourniquet to the Soldiers’ left leg as high as he could to stop the bleeding.

The lights suddenly come back on and the simulated noise stops playing as an instructor comes forward to talk through the scenario that just played out. This is just one of the multiple ways that the Medical Simulation Training Center can prepare Soldiers for any future combat situations they might find themselves in.

The Fort Stewart Medical Simulation Training Center has transformed from a little-known training resource into the Army’s highest-rated Regional Medical Simulation Training Center, earning recognition as the top facility among 25 centers worldwide.

According to leaders at the Medical Center of Excellence, Fort Stewart currently holds the No. 1 ranking among Regional MSTCs across the Army, surpassing facilities in Germany, South Korea and throughout the active-duty, Reserve and National Guard components.

“There are 25 Regional Medical Simulation Training Centers worldwide,” said Staff Sgt. Tyler Beaudry, assigned to the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. “We’re number one [according to] the Medical Center of Excellence.”

The distinction reflects years of deliberate cultural change, rigorous instructor selection and a commitment to preparing medics for the realities of future large-scale combat operations.

“When I first got there, the team initially had already done a lot of work from where it previously was,” Beaudry said. “There was a team already changing that culture and fostering the importance of identifying our shortcomings and truly preparing medics for future conflicts.”

One of the center’s most significant changes involved redefining who could serve as an instructor. Rather than accepting personnel based solely on availability, leaders implemented an interview process designed to identify medics with strong medical foundations, tactical expertise and a passion for teaching.

“If you didn’t pass an interview or have a really strong foundation of medicine and tactical medicine, you just weren’t hired,” Beaudry said. “We’re trying to develop better medics within our division and across the southeast, because we are a regional facility.”

That emphasis on instructor quality has become a defining characteristic of the organization.

“I think the interview process for choosing the instructors is a very big portion of why we’re the best,” said Sgt. Brooke Boudreaux, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 14th Field Hospital, 16th Hospital Center, 44th Medical Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps. “You have instructors who really want to be there rather than the units just picking them to send them.”

The center trains Soldiers from across the Army, welcoming participants from installations throughout the United States and overseas.

“We’ve had people from Fort Bragg, we’ve had people from South Korea, we’ve had all your Compo 2 and 3s from all across the country,” Beaudry said. “With that you have to have that strong foundation of instructors who are dedicated, want to teach people and can convey it down to the lowest level so everyone understands.”

Instruction is grounded in evidence-based medicine and standardized guidelines.

“By coming to the Medical Simulation Training Center, the difference is there are actual standards for the teaching,” Boudreaux said. “You’re strictly following the Committee of Tactical Combat Casualty Care guidelines and the Clinical Practice Guidelines.”

Beyond technical proficiency, instructors seek to develop critical thinking and sound clinical judgment.

“We’ve seen that this approach allows us to foster clinical judgment and critical thinking,” Beaudry said. “We want you to fail here so you don’t have to live with preventable deaths downrange.”

The center continuously adapts its curriculum by incorporating lessons learned from current conflicts and emerging battlefield trends. Leaders are also expanding training opportunities through initiatives such as enhanced Combat Medic sustainment programs, prolonged field care instruction and the future implementation of the Delayed Evacuation Casualty Management course, which covers long term field care for casualties that cannot be evacuated immediately.

Training environments continue to evolve as well. Instructors are constructing urban operations and trench-style simulation areas designed to replicate conditions medics may encounter during large-scale combat operations.

“We’re trying to get ahead of that curve,” Beaudry said. “We’re taking from what’s developing and trying to better ourselves, so we’re not learning on the fly.”

Equally important is the center’s commitment to self-improvement. Daily course critiques allow instructors to identify weaknesses, adjust teaching methods and remain accountable to their students.

“We have daily course critiques,” Beaudry said. “If students clearly aren’t understanding something, then we’ve got to figure out why and how to teach this group, because each individual is different with learning.”

For Fort Stewart’s instructors, maintaining the top ranking is less about recognition and more about expanding the center’s impact.

“Maybe one person learns something, goes back to their unit and starts training their people,” Beaudry said. “We engaged one person, created a memory for them, and they went back and taught 24 people.”

By investing in its instructors, embracing innovation and focusing on realistic, relevant training, the Fort Stewart Medical Simulation Training Center is shaping the next generation of Army medics — and setting the standard for medical readiness across the force.