Category: Security

Source: United States Army

LATHAM, New York — The New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division “Rainbow” Band will mark the 250th anniversary of American independence with eight patriotic concerts being held across New York starting on June 25.

The 90-minute concerts by the 23- Soldier band feature patriotic marches like “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Over There.”

The band’s smaller groups, “The Bear Mountain Brass” and the “Governor’s Own Brass Quintet” will be playing tunes that reflect American history and culture. These include ‘Star Wars’, the “Revolutionary War Medley,” and ‘Sweet Dreams’.

The concert series kicks off on June 25 with an appearance at the Cortland Waterfront Performance Stage in Verplanck at 7 p.m.

The tour ends with two performances in New York City and one on Long Island.

On July 3, the band will perform at 6:30 p.m. at the Fort Wadsworth-Gateway National Recreation Center on Staten Island prior to the fireworks show.

On the 4th, the band will play on board at the U.S.S. Intrepid Museum at 10 a.m., during the International Naval Review and International Aircraft Review.

Finally, at 6 p.m. on July 4, the band will perform at the Jones Beach Bandshell in Wantagh.

Other appearances are:

June 26, the Schaghticoke Fairground in Schaghticoke at 7:15 p.m.

June 27, the Buffalo Canalside Boardwalk State in Buffalo at 4 p.m.

June 28, the Niagara Falls Visitor Center at 11 a.m.

June 29, the Alphonso Dimino Memorial Bandshell in Academy Park in Lewiston at 7 p.m.

June 30, Music in the Park at the Village Ball Park in Silver Creek at 6 p.m.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band, nicknames the “Rainbow Band” because the 42nd Infantry Division is the “Rainbow Division” was constituted in 1943 when the 42nd Infantry Division was reactivated for World War II. The band can trace its roots back to New York militia bands created in the 19th Century.

The band is based at Camp Smith Training Site in Cortlandt Manor and serves as a musical ambassador for the 42nd Infantry Division and the New York Army National Guard.

The band conducts an annual concert tour, performs at military events, and marches in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City each year.

The band is commanded and led by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ethan Wagner.

Each member of the band is a trained Soldier. In 2004 and 2005 the band was mobilized and deployed to Tikrit, Iraq, where band members performed security duties when they were not entertaining Soldiers

Source: United States Army

HLUSAKA, Zambia – Representatives from the North Carolina National Guard, Botswana, Malawi, Moldova and Zambia gathered for the North Carolina State Partnership Program Domestic Response Workshop at Zambia Army Headquarters June 8-12.

Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop marked the first time a Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program partner nation with North Carolina hosted a multinational event on its own soil. Moldova participated virtually.

The workshop highlighted each nation’s past disaster responses, civilian-military collaboration and opportunities for regional disaster preparedness and future cooperation.

“This is the first time we have had an opportunity to gather five partner nations in one location outside of the United States,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Aaron Youngblood, North Carolina National Guard chief of domestic operations. “It was an amazing opportunity for us to come together in Zambia and focus on something different from what we experienced when we hosted it in North Carolina.”

The discussions highlighted a growing emphasis on preparedness, mitigation and emergency management rather than responding only after disasters occur.

“The frequency and intensity of disasters are continuously increasing,” said Ryan Kenney, North Carolina Emergency Management deputy branch manager of emergency services. “Our partners are taking a proactive approach to emergency management rather than reacting to a disaster.”

Throughout the workshop, participants shared after-action reports from past disasters, exchanged lessons learned and discussed interagency coordination frameworks between civilian and military agencies.

Representatives found that despite geographic differences, they face similar disaster challenges, including floods and droughts.

“Disasters do not respect borders, whether you are prepared or not,” Youngblood said. “They happen, and there are many commonalities among the nations we are partnered with.”

While each nation operates under different domestic response structures, participants agreed that continued collaboration and information sharing are essential to improving disaster preparedness.

For the Zambian government, hosting the workshop provided an opportunity to deepen relationships with its SPP partners and strengthen regional disaster response networks.

“We launched the partnership [with North Carolina in 2024] and agreed that we would share information,” said Norman Chipakupaku, National Disaster Response Management Division national coordinator. “This workshop came at the right time. We want to continue sharing experiences, prepare for future disasters and help build resilience within our countries.”

As the partner nations concluded the workshop, representatives emphasized the growing multinational relationships through the North Carolina State Partnership Program and their shared commitment to building resilient communities with a common understanding of disaster preparedness and response.

“This highlights the importance of the partnership and Zambia’s ownership to host an event like this,” said U.S. Army Col. Patrick Szvetitz, North Carolina National Guard director of strategic plans and policy. “The maturity of our State Partnership Program is evident during this workshop, where Zambia can host four countries in person and one virtually to improve our emergency response to the people we serve.”

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

LINCOLN, Neb. – Cyber Tatanka 2026, a massive cybersecurity exercise designed to test and strengthen the digital defenses of critical infrastructure, concluded June 12 after two weeks of simulated, highly sophisticated cyberattacks.

The fifth annual exercise brought together 243 participants from federal, state, military and private sector organizations at Kiewit Hall on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. The June 1-12 event served as a collaborative proving ground for defensive cyber operations.

“Cyber Tatanka is Nebraska’s premier defensive cyber range exercise,” organizers noted in planning documents, highlighting its mission to safeguard regional networks against emerging threats.

“When this started five years ago Cyber Tatanka was a military-led event,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Hargens, Nebraska Air National Guard assistant adjutant general. “It has since transformed into a civilian-led event. There’s an incredible amount of planning and work that goes into doing this event, so I want to thank Cyber Strong Nebraska for putting this on.”

The importance of the cyber realm is echoed in the exercise’s name. Tatanka is a word used by members of the Lakota tribes to describe the bison that ranged across a seven-state region of the central and northern American Great Plains, said Ryan Carlson, a retired Nebraska Army National Guard major. Carlson helped develop the original exercise concept with several leaders of Nebraska public infrastructure organizations to give cyber defense specialists an opportunity to learn more about network protection efforts and collaborate with fellow computer and network defense specialists, while also testing their organization’s cyber response plans in a safe yet realistic virtual environment.

“The indigenous people relied on the bison for their way of life. It was their food. It was their shelter. It was their clothing. It was their tools,” Carlson said. “It was something they greatly respected, and it was something they realized they needed to protect to support their way of life.”

“We see interconnected systems as kind of that same thing,” Carlson added. “Interconnected systems are extremely important to maintaining our way of life. And they are something that we must protect.”

The exercise is led by Cyber Strong Nebraska, a nonprofit organization established to plan and conduct it. The Nebraska National Guard participates in and supports the Army’s Innovative Response Training program and is one of several major partners, including multiple private, public and educational institutions.

The first week of the event focused heavily on academic training and network validation. The second week shifted to a live-fire range phase hosted on a simulated business enterprise network provided by Cloud Cyber Range. Defensive teams faced daily vignettes with threat actors that grew progressively more sophisticated.

“The person is the program,” said Dana Turner, a director for Cyber Strong Nebraska. “If you’re not stress-testing your people on realistic conditions on a regular basis, you have no idea how they will perform when it actually matters.”

The exercise drew key international partners through the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program. Two service members from Tanzania and one from the Czech Republic integrated into the defensive enclaves to collaborate and share best practices with the Nebraska National Guard teams.

The exercise’s participating countries included the United States, Austria, the Czech Republic, Jordan, Chile and Tanzania. Domestically, attendees spanned five states and territories: Texas, Colorado, Vermont, Nebraska and Guam.

“Seeing the threats in real time and going through the tools that we have together has helped me understand it better,” said Czech Armed Forces 2nd Lt. Jakub Richder, an exercise participant who graduated last year with a master’s degree in the cyber defense field and joined the Czech’s 92nd Cyber Warfare Group. “This has been a great experience, seeing how another military works and how they communicate. This experience will definitely help me come back home as a better cyber soldier.”

A broad coalition of Nebraska infrastructure and business pillars anchored the civilian side.

“Nation states used to go after each other’s military targets and government systems,” Turner said. “That has shifted. They now go after utilities in small Nebraska towns, the regional hospital, the corner pharmacy, the community bank. The target set has expanded to include everyone, people who never signed up to be on the front lines of a geopolitical conflict.”

“You cannot defend a threat landscape that broad with a single organization, a single organization or chain of command, you need a coalition,” Turner added.

During its five-year run from 2022 to 2026, Cyber Tatanka has trained 750 military, civilian, academic and government professionals. That cohort includes 250 U.S. military personnel and more than 50 international allied military personnel.

“We are stronger together than we are apart,” Turner said. “Cyber Tatanka is the answer to that problem.”

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

BAUMHOLDER, Germany – A student with U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz’ Baumholder Youth Services recently earned the title of Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) 2026 Northeast Military Youth of the Year. The award, which comes with a $20,000 college scholarship, recognizes outstanding academic achievements, academic potential and commitment to community service.

Three years ago, Patrick Akar-Donkor, military teen and student at Baumholder Middle High School, moved from Ghana to Germany. He embraced the challenges of a new country and a unique military lifestyle instead of letting them overwhelm him.

The garrison’s Public Affairs Office recently spoke to Patrick to chat about his journey, the people who supported him along the way and what it means to be the 2026 Youth of the Year.

First off, congratulations on being named the 2026 Northeast Military Youth of the Year! Do you remember exactly where you were or what you were doing when you found out you won?

Thank you! The event was held at Major League Baseball headquarters in New York City, and I had the chance to meet the CEO of BGCA, Mr. Jim Clark. All four finalists gave their speeches, and afterward I sat with the Chief Baseball Development Officer Tony Reagins, when he announced that I had been selected as the 2026 Northeast Military Youth of the Year. I was very honored to be chosen, and it was an exciting moment for me. Afterward, we celebrated, took photos and headed back to the hotel for a pizza party.

Moving from Ghana to Germany in 2023 must have been a massive transition. How did the Baumholder Youth Services program help you find your footing and build a community in a brand-new country?

The Baumholder Teen Center was where I was able to make friends and connect with people, which was very important in dealing all the change. There were staff members like Mr. Ryan and Mrs. Jacque that I could talk to about anything, and they helped me adapt to my new school and military community. At the teen center, I was able to learn and make connections, which shaped me into the youth leader that I am today.

You helped bring back the European Keystone Summit for the first time in over a decade. What was it like bringing military youth together from all over the region?

Yes, that is one of my favorite accomplishments in Keystone! It’s very important for teens to be able to connect with one another, especially in military communities. Most Keystone clubs in Europe are unable to attend the National Keystone Conference in the United States, so it was important for us to bring that experience here.

We offered activities through the Red Cross, cooking clubs, sports programs, gift wrapping with the Baumholder Spouses Club Angel Tree program and many other opportunities, all completely free. Our “little” event even inspired BGCA to come to Europe and organize an official Europe Keystone Conference in Germany this November in Garmisch. It will be open to Keystone clubs across the region, and I’m honored to have been part of the team that helped make it possible.

It’s impressive reading about your accomplishments! You’ve logged more than 200 volunteer hours, maintained a 3.8 grade point average, played sports, served in student government and acted as the vice president of the robotics club. How do you balance all these moving parts, and what drives you to stay so heavily involved?

When people ask how I maintain my GPA while staying involved in sports, school and the Teen Center, I think it really comes down to having a community that supports you. I have that support not just at the Teen Center, but also at school, at home and throughout the entire Baumholder community.

I’m very fortunate to be part of such a close-knit community because it provides so many opportunities for teens. When you’re surrounded by opportunities and by youth leaders who inspire you, you’re motivated to stay involved and keep trying to be better. The BMC and BGCA have given me so much, and that’s why I believe it’s important to give back through volunteering.

Looking back at your time here so far, what has been your favorite memory of living in the Baumholder Military Community?

Over the past three years here at Baumholder, I have had many amazing experiences, from going to New York City for the youth of the year event, to meeting the amazing staff at the teen center, scoring a touchdown in a football game for the first time ever, placing sixth in our robotics completion and many other memorable experiences. But I believe the most important and my favorite memories are the little and simple ones, like playing Tekken in the teen room with my friends Keandre and Jason and the fun conversations at the Waffle House during school trips.

You’re planning to study sports business or sports management in college. If you could pick your dream job in sports leadership, what would it be?

I am very passionate about sports, and my dream job would be to become the sports director of Manchester United Football Club. Right now, I haven’t committed to a college yet and am still exploring my options. The University of New Mexico and the University of North Texas are among my top choices.

The $20,000 scholarship from BGCA will help me take the next step toward earning a degree in sports business or sports management and, hopefully, achieving my dream of one day becoming a director at a prestigious sports organization.

Baumholder Youth Centers serve students in grades six to 12 with free middle school teen programs offered daily after school and throughout the summer. Affordable morning camps also support families during out-of-school hours, providing a full day of activities for youth.

U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz sets, serves, and secures the total force community, enabling power projection for the European Theater.

Connect with us: https://linktr.ee/usag_rp

Source: United States Army

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — Soldiers with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Mobile Brigade Combat Team conducted training June 17-18 on the new vehicle they will use for movement to and from mission locations.

The Infantry Squad Vehicle, or ISV, is a light, unarmored vehicle capable of transporting an infantry squad of nine Soldiers and their gear over rugged terrain, emphasizing speed and agility over armor and firepower. The ISV is the primary vehicle used by the Army’s relatively new mobile brigade combat teams.

Staff Sgt. Jordan Briggs, the battalion master driver, led the initial training on the ISV, training the trainers for each company. Briggs walked through each step of the preventive maintenance checks and services for the vehicle, a vital step in caring for and maintaining each vehicle to remain mission-ready and capable.

He then walked them through the vehicle’s capabilities and how to operate it. Each Soldier then completed a driving course around Fort Indiantown Gap.

“The companies’ representatives performed exceptionally well throughout the course, demonstrating strong technical proficiency disciplined execution, and a clear commitment to safety,” Briggs said. “The training not only met but exceeded expectations, producing confident and capable ISV operators ready to support mission requirements.”

The next training was conducted by the companies to develop confidence in the vehicle platform.

“I thought the training was very thorough,” said Spc. Nathan Breitenstein of A Company. “It addressed everything from walking up to the vehicle not knowing anything about it to being comfortable driving it. I feel confident in operating it based on our training.”

Sgt. Connor Vaughan, also with A Company, has experience driving several military vehicle platforms. He praised the training as well, explaining that it was very easy to understand the ISV’s purpose and capabilities.

“I’m looking forward to the implementation into the company, to see their scope and how we will use them in the field,” Vaughan said. “I think they’re pretty slick.”

The 56th Mobile Brigade Combat Team had been a Stryker brigade for 20 years before converting to a mobile brigade combat team in March. As a Stryker brigade, it was centered around eight-wheeled, armored Stryker vehicles.

Several ISVs arrived at Fort Indiantown Gap earlier in 2026 for driver training. The remainder of the brigade’s ISVs are expected to begin arriving in 2027.

The battalion plans to continue training Soldiers on the ISV throughout annual training to build a strong base of confident drivers, fully capable of operating the vehicle during any mission.

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

ARLINGTON, Va. — Drug trafficking networks often cross state and international borders, and analysts with the National Guard Counterdrug program are helping law enforcement officials identify trafficking routes and connect investigations across jurisdictions in order to disrupt and stop the flow of illicit drugs.

“Borders serve as the main line of defense for preventing drugs from entering the U.S., but threats posed by illicit drug trafficking do not stop there,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Laurie Rodriguez, National Guard Bureau Counterdrug division chief. “They exist in all states.”

In one recent investigation, Guard analysts identified text-based communications tied to a fentanyl trafficking network operating across six states. Their work contributed to the seizure of 196,000 fentanyl pills and additional narcotics arrests, said Rodriguez.

The investigation was one of thousands supported each year by the program, which provides analytical, reconnaissance, operational, and training support to law enforcement agencies throughout all 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. Congress authorized the program in 1989. Since then, the mission has expanded well beyond its early efforts focused on marijuana eradication.

“What once focused primarily on local and state marijuana eradication missions has expanded into disrupting activities and dismantling drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations,” Rodriguez said, adding that the program is structured differently in each state based on local needs, threats, and law enforcement partnerships.

Nationwide, nearly 3,000 Guard personnel support those efforts as part of the program. All serve on Title 32 status and remain under control of their governors while supporting federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.

Rodriguez said today’s drug trafficking organizations operate more like sophisticated criminal enterprises than isolated local groups, using communications, financial, and transportation networks that often span jurisdictions and international borders.

Much of the program’s mission now centers on criminal intelligence analysis and interagency coordination.

Guard analysts assigned to High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, state intelligence hubs known as fusion centers, and multi-agency task forces help law enforcement investigators identify trafficking routes, communication patterns, financial links and organizational structures connected to larger criminal networks.

“Analysts act as a force multiplier and bridge gaps between local, state and federal law enforcement partners,” Rodriguez said.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matt Howard, head of the Georgia National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, said Guard personnel often help connect agencies and investigative efforts that may otherwise operate separately.

“I think we are sometimes the bridge between elements or agencies where we can get folks to kind of work together,” he said. “I think we’re really the trusted brokers.”

Beyond analysis, the Counterdrug program provides military-unique capabilities many law enforcement agencies cannot sustain independently, said Rodriguez. Reconnaissance teams use fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and specialized equipment to identify trafficking corridors and illegal drug activity, while other personnel provide communications, transportation, engineering and language translation support.

“I’ve worked with law enforcement agencies that have like 12 people, counting the secretary,” said Howard. “They don’t have helicopters. They don’t have an analysis person.”

The Counterdrug program brings those capabilities, said Rodriguez.

The program also operates five schools that train Guard members, law enforcement personnel, and community organizations in areas including criminal intelligence analysis, ground reconnaissance, and partnership development.

Other elements of the Counterdrug program work with anti-drug coalitions and community organizations to help communities develop long-term prevention strategies and responses tailored to local conditions.

“The Guard is already connected to these communities,” Rodriguez said. “The trust is already there.”

Rodriguez said the program continues adapting alongside law enforcement partners as criminal organizations evolve their methods and operations.

In fiscal year 2025, the Guard Counterdrug program supported more than 2,800 law enforcement agencies and contributed to narcotics-related seizures valued at approximately $15 billion, according to NGB figures.

Rodriguez said those operations are not only removing narcotics from communities, but also disrupting the financial networks that sustain larger criminal organizations.

“We’re denying these cartels and high-priority targets the revenue that they would have otherwise,” she said.

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