Category: Security

Source: United States Army

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — In a city known as the birthplace of American independence, the U.S. Army Reserve marked its 118th birthday at Independence Hall and the historic Betsy Ross House. Highlights of the event included the National Anthem, performed by Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 2 and country musician Craig Morgan Greer, a cake-cutting — baked by award-winning Army Reserve chefs — a reenlistment ceremony, and the enlistment of 118 future Soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief of Army Reserve and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command, highlighted the significance of the event.

“There’s only one nation that swears an oath of allegiance to its constitution … and that is the United States of America,” Harter said. “There is no Apple computer, no Amazon, no Walmart, no United States of America, without its defenders, without its warriors.

“And that’s who we have standing before you — the next generation of warriors.”

These future Soldiers are joining the ranks of the world’s most lethal land force. Nearly half will become part of the Army Reserve — an operational force that currently supports Army and joint force requirements at home and overseas. Beyond these operations, the true impact of the Army Reserve is found in its people. To continue to deliver on that “you go — we go” commitment to the Army, the Army Reserve is working hard to attract the best talent across communities.

Maj. Donald Petty, the Army’s Mid-Atlantic recruiting battalion executive officer, was in charge of assembling the future Soldiers from across New Jersey and Pennsylvania. “Today’s enlistment ceremony is the culmination of the Army Reserve’s recent success in recruiting the next generation of warfighters,” he said. “118 outstanding recruits, comprised of high-demand skills, including cyber professionals, engineers, and medical specialists.”

Those efforts are underscored by the attendance of the Army Reserve’s Private Public Partnership Office. Through employment initiatives, P3 is investing in Soldiers, Families and civilians across the Army Reserve, retaining the force by supporting civilian career growth and expanding access to training opportunities. These efforts are made possible through partnerships with organizations such as UPenn medical and the U.S. Secret Service. Recruiters from those entities were also present at the event.

The event emphasized the distinct role outreach plays in bringing Soldier and Citizen Soldier service to the forefront of people’s minds. While it is the daily the mission of Army Reserve Ambassadors to create a bridge to communities, ARA at Large Jim Bernet said the Army Reserve birthday celebration today was one of the most impactful events he’d seen in his 15 years serving.

“I found myself talking more today than ever about what the Army Reserve is. …” he said. “With hundreds of community members engaging throughout the day, it was the perfect platform to help the community connect the dots between the military and how embedded our Soldiers are locally.”

He was enthusiastic about keeping the momentum going. “We need to multiply what we did today because it is the only way to get our message out about the value and positive return on investment that service brings to the Army — and to communities.”

Source: United States Army

TALKEETNA, Alaska — An Alaska Army National Guard CH-47F Chinook helicopter lifted off from Talkeetna with a load calculated down to the pound. Carrying more than 5,500 pounds of cargo and equipment, its destination was Denali Base Camp at 7,200 feet on the Kahiltna Glacier, where there are no runways and little margin for error.

The mission was straightforward in purpose but demanding in execution: deliver critical equipment into one of the most remote operating environments in North America in support of the National Park Service at Denali National Park and Preserve ahead of the climbing season on Mount McKinley.

Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Maddox, a CH-47 flight engineer with Bravo Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, was responsible for every piece of gear loaded onto the aircraft. Before the wheels ever left the ground, weight, balance, and sequencing had to be exact because, once airborne, there is little room to adjust.

“You have to get it right before you go,” Maddox said. “Up there, the aircraft doesn’t give you much extra. The way it’s loaded, how it’s balanced, it all matters more the higher you get.”

In flight, Maddox monitored systems and coordinated with the pilots as the Chinook climbed toward the glacier, where thinner air reduces lift and narrows the margin between performance and limitation.

For Chief Warrant Officer 3 Kevan Katkus, a CH-47 instructor pilot with B Co., 2-211th GSAB, the mission extended beyond delivering cargo. As the lead pilot, he used the flight to train two of the unit’s newer pilots, exposing them to conditions that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

“This is real-world training in one of the most demanding environments we fly in,” Katkus said. “You’re dealing with altitude, changing weather and confined landing zones, all at once. It forces you to stay ahead of the aircraft and make decisions early.”

Snow-covered terrain can obscure depth perception, winds shift unpredictably, and every approach requires a deliberate balance of power and control.

These conditions highlight the Chinook’s heavy-lift capability, moving large amounts of cargo in a single lift while maintaining the stability required for precise operations.

Once delivered, the equipment enables National Park Service personnel to establish and sustain base camp operations for the climbing season, thereby supporting one of the world’s busiest mountaineering routes. The Alaska Army National Guard does not conduct the mission alone.

Active-duty aviators from B Company, 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, also supported the operation with two CH-47 Chinook helicopters, continuing a decadeslong partnership of moving equipment onto the glacier each season. Together, the units bring experience, repetition and coordination to a mission that depends on all three.

Alaska Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ross Wise, 207th Aviation Troop Command safety officer and a CH-47 pilot, served as the lead mission planner, coordinating closely with the National Park Service and active-duty counterparts to align timelines, equipment requirements and flight operations.

“Most of the work happens before the aircraft ever starts,” Wise said. “You’re coordinating loads, working with the Park Service, deconflicting with the active-duty unit and making sure everyone is operating off the same plan. By the time we launch, it should feel routine, but there’s a lot that goes into getting it to that point.”

For the crews, the value goes beyond the delivery.

Each flight to base camp builds familiarity with the terrain, reinforces crew coordination, and sharpens the skills required to operate in Alaska’s most unforgiving environments.

Those gains extend beyond the aircraft.

“One of the biggest payoffs for us is sustaining our working relationships with the National Park Service and the 1-52 units,” Wise said. “Those relationships increase our ability to respond to contingencies, and they challenge us to maintain a high level of proficiency and professionalism.”

It is training layered into mission execution, where the outcome supports a partner agency, and the process strengthens the force.

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

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.

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

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.

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 LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — The Kansas Press Association announced April 20 that the Fort Leavenworth Lamp staff earned several awards across a variety of categories in the 2026 Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence competition.

In the annual competition, the work of journalists from across the state is judged against that of their peers by members of another state’s comparable press organization. The Lamp received 18 total awards: five first-place awards, five second-place awards and eight third-place awards.

This year’s awards included recognition for a contributing photojournalist and two college interns.

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR, INTERN KUDOS

First Place: Sports Photo

Brian Allen, an assistant professor at the Command and General Staff College, volunteered to photograph “MCTP officer joins professional hockey teams on ice” and a few other Lamp assignments to share and explore his love of photography. His image of emergency backup goalie Capt. Micah Robbins, an operations officer with the Mission Command Training Program, sharing a moment with his 8-year-old daughter, Kennedy, at a professional hockey match earned Allen the top Sports Photo award.

“What a wonderful moment between a father and daughter,” the category judge commented. “Perfectly timed, and great layered composition with the foreground, middle ground and background.”

Second Place: Best Story/ Picture Combination

Lamp interns Melanie Libby, sophomore at the University of Missouri, and Emilio Gutierrez, senior at the University of Saint Mary, tackled the Command and General Staff Officer Course graduation as their first assignment together as a reporter-photographer team, resulting in a second-place award in the Best Story/Picture Combination category for single-day event coverage.

Third Place: Series

Third Place: Best Environmental Story

Two of Gutierrez’s images joined those of Lamp Editor Prudence Siebert in the six-week series “Army’s 250-year story told in stained glass.” The photo layouts complemented weekly video releases by the Command and General Staff College Public Affairs team highlighting the Army’s history depicted in the stained glass windows at the Lewis and Clark Center. The layouts earned third place in the Series category.

Libby also earned a third-place award in the Best Environmental Story category with her coverage of Girl Scout Katie Moen’s Gold Award project, for which she created two pollinator gardens on post.

EDITOR RECOGNITION

First Place: Best Environmental Portrait

Siebert’s photograph of sisters who were training and working together at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks placed first in the Best Environmental Portrait category. The portrait was taken in front of the USDB Headquarters building because images of the sisters working inside the prison were not allowed. Environmental portraits are necessary in such cases when candid/action images of the subjects are not possible.

First Place: Youth Story

When Siebert met with Leavenworth High School senior Elisabeth Howell to take her portrait to accompany a press release about the teenager earning the highest score possible on the ACT standardized assessment test, she quickly assessed that Howell’s accomplishments deserved more extensive coverage than the short press release. The story evolved into a nearly 2,500-word article that included input from Howell’s parents and swim coach and was supplemented by Lamp file photos of Howell and her family and submitted images taken during a few of her many activities. The story earned Siebert first place in the Youth Story category.

“Great subject and excellent writing,” the judge commented. “Long story but well worth the reading. Photos added to the very impressive package.”

First Place: Design and Layout Excellence

The Fort Leavenworth Lamp also earned a first-place award in the Design and Layout Excellence category, which is an overall evaluation of the newspaper’s design, to include the use of journalistic elements like white space, fonts, graphics and photographs.

When the Lamp went to an online-only publication a few years ago, Siebert was committed providing the community, including archivists and historians, with an “old school” newspaper layout that compiled the week’s coverage in one location, rather than many disappearing links, and could be easily referenced, downloaded and printed.

First Place: Best Story/Picture Combination

Second and Third Place: Religion Story

Siebert’s coverage of the post’s multiple congregations decorating the chapels for the Advent season earned first place in the Best Story/Picture Combination category, as well as third place in the Religion Story category.

Siebert’s story “Prayer luncheon speaker asks for help to stop stigma, save lives” focused on retired Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin’s National Prayer Luncheon message concerning bipolar disorder and mental illness and took second place in the Religion Story category.

Second and Third Place: Military Story

The story of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club induction of two NCOS from the 67th Military Police Detachment (Military Working Dog), Special Troops Battalion, earned Siebert a second-place award in the Military Story category, and her town hall coverage of Combined Arms Command Commanding General Lt. Gen. James Isenhower III explaining his command philosophy to the workforce earned third place in the category.

Second Place: Feature Story

“Hounds for the Holidays,” about the Fort Leavenworth Hunt’s foxhound kennel holiday open house, earned a second-place Feature Story award for Siebert.

“This story is fun and unexpected, a behind-the-scenes look at hunting foxhounds,” the judge commented. “A good story idea, well-executed.”

Second Place: Feature Photo

Third place: Photo Package

Siebert earned two awards for her photos in the “Blind horseman visits Buffalo Soldier Monument” layout, including second place Feature Photo for the main image and third place Photo Package for the full page.

“The photo immediately drew me in to learn more about the context in it,” the judge wrote about the image of blind rider John H. Wooten III, better known as J.W. Wolfman Black, astride Arabian/mustang/Morgan cross Topaz, talking with George Pettigrew, executive vice president of the Alexander/Madison Chapter – Greater Kansas City/Leavenworth Area 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association, in front of the monument. “A crisp and curious shot that leaves you wanting to know more about it.”

Third Place: Feature Photo

Siebert also earned third place in the Feature Photo category with her image of budding entomologist 5-year-old Colm Menge catching and studying insects on Moth Night.

“Such an interesting and unique event,” the judge commented. “The photo really captures that. Great lighting.”

Third Place: Feature Package

The story “Movement options for students help improve learning, behavior” explored the use of the Unified School District 207’s move-to-learn practices, which combine exercise with learning, and included student testimonials. The layout with the story, photographs and boxed grant information earned Siebert a third-place award in the Feature Package category.

“A fascinating article and pictures about how certain movement activities can positively affect the behavior and studying habits of youngsters with ADHD or issues caused by moving around frequently by military families. There are lessons that can be shared with other school districts,” the category judge wrote. “Great writing and pictures and interesting interviews with the children affected and aided by the techniques.”

Third Place: News and Writing Excellence

The Lamp also received a third-place award in News and Writing Excellence, a category evaluating full issues of the newspaper on writing style, originality, interest and headlines.

The Fort Leavenworth Lamp is produced weekly and is posted online Thursdays at https://home.army.mil/leavenworth/about/news. Readers can check the link each week or request that a link to the new issue be delivered to their inbox by e-mailing usarmy.leavenworth.id-training. mbx.pao-inbox@army.mil. Reminders can also be received, and the links accessed, via the My Army Post App, which is available at Google Play and the App Store.

The Lamp welcomes event information, story ideas, photography and reporting submissions, as well as volunteer writers and interns. E-mail ftlvlampeditor@gmail.com if interested in contributing.

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

AGADIR, Morocco — In a rapidly evolving operational environment where speed, accountability and real-time awareness are critical, military personnel assigned to U.S. Africa Command are leveraging African Lion 26 as a battle lab to test emerging technologies designed to enhance personnel tracking and operational efficiency at Southern Zone Headquarters, April 20-May 8.

At the forefront of that effort is Guardian, a software-based, personnel-tracking proof of concept under evaluation for the first time during this multinational exercise. The tool represents a forward-looking approach to how commanders visualize, manage and safeguard personnel across dispersed and dynamic areas.

“This is a proof of concept that allows us to improve personnel accountability in complex operational environments,” said U.S. Army Maj. Lisa Rousseau, USAFRICOM contingency, exercise and personnel planner. “This is a system that we are stress testing in African Lion.”

Guardian is designed to provide near real-time visibility of personnel across a theater of operations. By integrating data inputs, the tool enables planners and commanders to maintain a more accurate and dynamic understanding of where personnel are located and how they are moving.

Traditionally, personnel tracking has relied on manual reporting methods, spreadsheets or fragmented systems that can lag in real-world conditions. Guardian aims to bridge that gap by automating aspects of data collection and visualization.

“It’s about giving leaders a clearer picture, faster,” Rousseau said. “It’s going to give them that decision dominance to have that near or real-time fused picture of personnel and their locations with complete status updates in under 30 seconds per person to scan.”

During AL26, users are employing Guardian in a large-scale, multinational environment, allowing planners to stress-test its capabilities across multiple locations, units and partner forces.

As USAFRICOM’s largest annual military exercise in Africa, AL26 provides a unique opportunity to evaluate new technologies in realistic conditions. With thousands of participants from multiple nations operating across vast distances, the exercise serves as an ideal battle lab for innovation.

“This exercise gives us the scale we need to truly understand how this capability performs,” Rousseau said. “We knew African Lion afforded us the opportunity to not only test the sheer magnitude of personnel coming through, but also to work with foreign partners and civilians who do not have common access cards.”

The integration of emerging tools like Guardian reflects a broader emphasis on innovation that drives readiness, which not only prepares forces for today’s missions, but also equips them for tomorrow’s challenges.

“Guardian has the potential to transform how we maintain accountability in a dynamic environment,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Hancock, operations and training officer assigned to the 79th Theater Sustainment Command. “By consolidating personnel data into one accessible platform, it strengthens situational awareness while reducing reporting redundancies and discrepancies. The ability to deliver real-time updates enables commanders to make faster, more informed decisions, and its automated processes ease the administrative burden on units, allowing Soldiers and planners to stay focused on mission execution.”

As a proof of concept, Guardian is still undergoing evaluation, and exercise participants are actively identifying limitations and its strengths.

“It’s important to recognize that this is not a finished product,” Rousseau said. “We are not yet fully at operational capability yet. As we continue operational testing during the exercise, we are simultaneously making updates and improvements.”

These insights are critical to refining the system and determining areas of improvement before any potential broader implementation.

Its use during AL26 also opens the door for joint and multinational integration. Tools like Guardian could potentially support a more unified operational picture since personnel tracking is a shared requirement across services and partner nations.

Guardian’s testing during AL26 underscores USAFRICOM’s role as a leader in operational innovation. By using the exercise as a battle lab, planners can experiment with new technologies in realistic conditions, accelerating the development process and informing future capabilities.

As the U.S. Army continues to prioritize innovation that drives readiness, efforts like this demonstrate how emerging technologies can integrate into operations to enhance effectiveness, accountability and mission success.

“We’re learning in real time,” Rousseau said. “We’re already making in-stride improvements every day that we’re here.”

The results of this proof of concept will help shape the future of personnel tracking across the force, ensuring that Soldiers and leaders have the tools they need in increasingly complex operational environments.

AL26 is USAFRICOM’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal, AL26 involves over 5,600 civilian and military personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

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.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS