Category: Security

Source: United States Army

WASHINGTON– In the span of a single year, the men and women of the National Guard conducted precision airstrikes to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program, rescued dozens of children from rising Texas floodwaters, repelled cyber intrusions targeting critical infrastructure and surged thousands of troops to restore order and safety in American cities.

Testifying before the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense alongside reserve component chiefs today, the chief of the National Guard Bureau underscored the Guard’s indispensable dual role as a warfighting and response force.

“Our dual mission as the primary combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force, while also serving as the military first responders in domestic crises, is a challenge we accept,” Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus said. “2025 was a remarkable year for the National Guard, defined by the scale and simultaneity of our operations.”

When President Donald J. Trump called for action against Iran’s nuclear program last June, National Guard aircrews contributed to the War Department’s Operation Midnight Hammer, the largest operational B-2 strike in U.S. history. This mission began not at a forward operating base, but in Missouri, where the Air National Guard’s 131st Bomb Wing has spent years working side by side with the U.S. Air Force’s 509th Bomb Wing.

This year, National Guardsmen have participated in Operation Epic Fury, flying strike missions against Iranian targets alongside Joint Force partners. U.S. forces, including Guardsmen, remain postured as U.S. combat power continues to build, while Iranian combat power declines.

In January’s Operation Absolute Resolve, Guard forces were employed to counter narco-terrorism in the Western Hemisphere.

Meanwhile, back home, Guardsmen logged more than 2.4 million hours of direct support to American citizens in response to domestic crises, from natural disasters to civil emergencies.

Congressman Ken Calvert, the HAC-D chairman, praised the Guard’s counterdrug efforts in the homeland, which Nordhaus said were responsible for removing $15 billion in illicit narcotics from American communities in 2025.

“Every dollar you give the National Guard, you’re getting huge bang for your buck,” Nordhaus said. “Because our Guardsmen are professional, they’re experienced, and they use their civilian skill sets to come into those programs and make us stronger.”

Today, about 42,000 Guardsmen are currently engaged in the homeland and worldwide, supporting every combatant commander across the globe. Nordhaus said sustaining this operational tempo requires continued investment in facilities, equipment, medical readiness and people.

The CNGB emphasized that the Guard will remain a credible warfighting partner if it modernizes alongside the active component.

“To sustain strategic dominance, we must modernize concurrently with our services to aggressively outpace and overmatch tomorrow’s threats,” he said, calling for robust investments in flying hours, weapons systems sustainment, facilities maintenance, base operations support and the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account, or NGREA.

Nordhaus also asked Congress to address a funding gap created when Guard forces are called into state active-duty status to respond to domestic emergencies. Under current policy, reimbursement funds for those activations are returned to the Treasury rather than restored to the units that spent them on training and equipment.

“When we use these resources to serve our citizens in a state active-duty status, current policy sends reimbursement funds back to the Treasury,” he said. “We ask for your support in restoring that readiness directly back to our formations.”

One of the most persistent challenges facing the Guard is a personnel system that has not kept pace with the demands placed on the force.

Guard leaders have called on Congress to advance duty-status reform, a long-sought effort to simplify the patchwork of legal authorities under which Guardsmen are ordered to active duty, and to ensure that equal work is compensated with equal pay and benefits regardless of duty status.

Last month, during a roundtable review of crime reduction in Memphis, Tennessee, President Trump announced that some National Guardsmen currently activated around the U.S. will soon receive deployment pay and benefits equal to those of active-duty troops.

Perhaps the most cost-effective security cooperation tool in the War Department’s portfolio is the National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, which pairs individual National Guard elements from every state, territory and the District of Columbia with partner nations for training, exercises and military-to-military engagement.

The program now connects the Department with nearly 60% of the world’s countries at just 1% of the theater security cooperation budget. Nordhaus told lawmakers, “Your help with flexible, multi-year budget authority will allow us to sustain the pace of these highly effective engagements.”

The CNGB closed by thanking the committee for its support and calling on Congress to continue investing in the Guard’s warfighters and capabilities.

“We are powered by our core advantage: the Citizen-Soldier and -Airman,” Nordhaus said. “They combine the warrior ethos with civilian-acquired skills, creating an organization that is as innovative as it is lethal, a force that is community-based and globally engaged.

“We will always keep our promise to the Nation and to our citizens: Always Ready, Always There.”

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

CAMP DARBY, Italy – For nearly 70 years, a white marble headstone marked “Unknown” stood in the Florence American Cemetery in Impruneta, overlooking the rolling Tuscan hills. Thousands of visitors passed it, never knowing that the soldier buried there was a 30-year-old from New Haven, Connecticut, who disappeared during a grenade charge in the final months of World War II.

We now have a name: Army Pfc. St. Clair M. Gibson.

“After taking care of this unknown Soldier for all of these years, it was a profound honor to be able to place a rosette by his name knowing he has been identified and returned home to his family,” said Eryth Zecher, Florence American Cemetery superintendent.

After 81 years, we finally have an answer to what happened in those brutal mountains. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has officially identified Pfc. Gibson, closing a chapter that started in the rugged peaks of the Apennines back in 1944.

Gibson was a “Buffalo Soldier” with the 371st Infantry Regiment, part of the segregated 92nd Infantry Division. These Black service members were on the front lines, fighting to push German forces out of Italy even while facing segregation back home.

On Nov. 18, 1944, Gibson went missing during heavy combat near Monte Canala. Because the terrain around Seravezza was so steep and dangerous, his unit couldn’t recover him before the battle lines shifted.

After the war, investigators found remains on that battlefield, but 1940s technology wasn’t enough to identify them. They labeled him “Unknown X-272 Castelfiorentino” and buried him in the cemetery at Impruneta. By 1949, the Army basically gave up, declaring him “non-recoverable.”

Everything changed in 2017 when researchers decided to exhume “Unknown X-272.” Using modern DNA and dental records, they finally confirmed it was Gibson on May 7, 2025.

“As with all of the service members we watch over, this reaffirms their sacrifices will be remembered and their stories preserved for future generations,” Zecher said.

If you visit the Florence American Cemetery today, you’ll see his name on the “Tablets of the Missing.” Soon, a small bronze rosette will be placed next to it – a quiet symbol that he’s no longer lost.

While his name remains engraved in the stone at Impruneta, Gibson finally went home. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on March 10, 2026.

If your travels take you through the heart of Tuscany, make sure to carve out time for a visit to the Florence American Cemetery. It’s a deeply moving site where 4,392 white marble headstones rest among the iconic cypress trees and rolling hills just south of the city. While the cemetery is a peaceful place to visit any day of the year, it truly comes to life during the annual Memorial Day ceremony. Every May, locals and visitors join military members and officials to honor the fallen with heartfelt service, colorful floral wreaths, and a flyover that echoes across the Greve River valley. To know more visit: https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/about-florence-american-cemetery/

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy – A three-person tiger team launched in February 2025 has helped transform U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) into the Army’s premier battle lab in Africa. The team now helps the command lead by transforming operational data into fast, actionable decisions.

The team integrates machine learning to fuse information from external sources. This platform replaces fragmented workflows with automated decision support for commanders, enhancing real-time situational awareness.

The push for this system began after an extended joint task force operation spanning multiple geographic combatant commands. A subsequent after-action review revealed severe data silos and a fractured information environment across the staff.

“Staff relied on scattered PowerPoints and inconsistent network drives, causing widespread confusion,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Kevin Ong, the SETAF-AF influence branch chief. “We lacked a central location for all parties to determine the actual ground truth.”

In response, SETAF-AF’s G3 operations directorate tasked Ong to lead a “tiger team.” Starting with three staff members, a limited budget and no dedicated engineering support, they studied data-mature commands like U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command. The team borrowed use cases and adapted strategic-level tools to fit operational requirements.

“It felt like being a substitute teacher,” Ong said. “You read the lesson a day ahead and then try to teach the rest of the staff the next day.”

Over the past year, the team built or tailored approximately a dozen tools to make users more efficient. For example, the “Scribe” tool uses artificial intelligence to transcribe meetings, identify speakers and generate action items for staff officers.

SETAF-AF Smart Search enables staff members to query command-specific classified documents without exposing sensitive data to external AI models. Its success has prompted other commands to develop their own tailored versions.

A tailored decision support matrix gives a commander a structured, data-driven framework to evaluate operational courses of action using live feeds. Rather than sifting through disconnected reports, that commander sees competing options ranked side by side against near real-time data, enabling faster, more confident decisions.

This platform dismantles historical information silos and automates manual analytical processes. Its tools slash the time required for administrative tasks and compresses workflows that once took trained staff members days to complete into minutes.

Across every tool, Ong’s team prioritizes machine-human teaming, ensuring that automation focuses on data aggregation and pattern recognition, while the user reviews, interprets and decides.

“We created tools that flag important activity in near real time, cutting analyst time from hours to minutes,” Ong said. “The commander gets intelligence while it is still actionable.”

The team’s solutions have reached far beyond SETAF-AF, and U.S. Africa Command has since explored integrating Scribe into key meetings across its staff.

Ong’s team also acts as a force multiplier for subordinate units. When a unit under U.S. Army Europe and Africa identified a meeting-transcription requirement, the SETAF-AF tiger team built and delivered the capability. According to Ong, fulfilling this capability request saved the unit over 40 hours of internal development time.

“Our mission requires us to stay adaptable,” Ong said. “Handling multiple operations at once forces us to find smarter ways to work.”

By December 2025, internal demand outpaced the original mandate of the tiger team. The team transitioned into a permanent subordinate component of the newly established Advanced Capabilities Directorate, where it was rebranded as the Operations Data Division. The overall directorate serves as the command’s front door for the innovation ecosystem, translating senior-leader vision into battlefield-ready capabilities through technical scouting and coordination with industry and academia.

Today, the Operational Data Division comprises five people organized into two sections: operations research and systems analysis officers who verify and structure incoming data, and platform builders who develop applications. To extend its reach, the team supports dedicated platform builders within each staff section across the command, creating a distributed network that ensures continuity and operational ownership.

During the upcoming African Lion 26 exercise, the team will use the system to build shared situational awareness with over 40 partners and allies. This massive multinational effort validates the sensor-to-shooter loop, features multilanguage reporting generation and reinforces interoperability across Africa.

“The idea is to have all our partners and allies in one room looking at the same sheet of music,” Ong said.

For a command managing missions from crisis response to multinational exercises, the Advanced Capabilities Directorate proves the value of bottom-up innovation.

Related Stories

SETAF-AF stands up Advanced Capabilities Directorate to drive innovation, data, decision dominance | Jan. 15, 2026

Inside how SETAF-AF will turn innovation into capability during African Lion 26 | Feb. 19, 2026

SETAF-AF showcases cutting-edge solutions at African Land Forces Summit 2026 | April 2, 2026

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

Source: United States Army

EDGEWOOD, Md. — Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers conducted medical evacuation training with two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, integrating local law enforcement K-9 units during an exercise at Lauderick Creek Military Reservation, April 1.

The training brought together about 30 participants from Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Police, along with eight police dogs. The exercise aimed to improve interagency coordination and prepare medics and aviators to treat both handlers and K-9s in complex emergency scenarios — a capability not routinely trained for.

“While I was deployed to Kosovo in 2021, there was a K-9 unit there, and I had been tasked with creating a K-9 medical bag. I remember feeling that the training I had up to that point was inadequate for what I would need if there was an actual emergency involving a K-9,” said Maryland Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joanna Adams, flight medic noncommissioned officer assigned to Company C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment. “After I came back from deployment, I started looking into getting training for my unit with K-9s.”

Two scenarios were conducted simultaneously, exposing participants to a range of operational and medical challenges.

One scenario focused on familiarizing K-9s with helicopter operations, including noise, rotor wash and environmental stressors. Guardsmen executed hoist operations with Montgomery County officers using a rescue seat and a plastic stretcher for non-ambulatory patients, while ground crews controlled a tagline to stabilize the load.

The second scenario introduced a complex tactical medical situation involving Cecil County officers and their K-9s. In the simulation, a K-9 and its handler were injured by a hostile drone strike, while a detained suspect sustained a bite wound during an escape attempt. Medics assessed and triaged patients under stress before evacuating them by air. During the flight, crews treated the handler’s injuries and dressed the K-9’s simulated wounds.

“Our medics and crew chiefs enjoyed being able to use skills that we do not get to use very often, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with these civilian units,” said Adams. “The most rewarding thing I learned was that even when things were not going 100% the way I had planned, everyone was still learning, and sometimes the deviations were better than what the original plan was in the first place.”

The event built on previous collaboration with the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office last summer, when K-9 teams received initial aircraft familiarization and practiced hoist operations using a basket lift.

During the training, law enforcement officers also shared techniques for safely disengaging a K-9 from a bite and responding if a medic is accidentally bitten while rendering aid.

“Not only do we have the fortune of building strong foundations in the units we serve in and are able to effect change over many years, but we also directly impact the community we live in,” said Maryland Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Colin Winand, flight paramedic noncommissioned officer assigned to Company C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment. “Knowing that I can assist my neighbors while completing missions makes the desired outcome that more important.”

Treating both K-9s and their handlers requires specialized knowledge, including assessing vital signs and understanding the effectiveness of medications for working dogs. The training gave medics and aviators a rare opportunity to practice those skills in realistic conditions.

“It was really great to work with the police dogs and their handlers before a real-world emergency,” said Adams. “Knowing what works and what doesn’t is really important when working with animals before a bad day happens. I was really impressed with the dogs and the officers. They are very well-trained, so it makes it easy to work with them and determine best practices so we can be ready to respond for our state and nation when we are needed.”

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

CAMP MURRAY, Wash. — The Washington Army National Guard launched its inaugural Executive Officer Course April 11–12, equipping junior officers with the skills and clarity needed to strengthen company-level operations across the force.

Designed to prepare company executive officers for their critical role within the command team, the two-day course focused on practical training, standardized processes and the tools needed to execute a commander’s intent — addressing a long-standing gap in how new XOs transition into the position.

The training brought together primarily new lieutenants from across the state, many arriving eager to support their units but unsure how to fully integrate into company-level operations. By the end of the course, that uncertainty had largely been replaced with clarity and confidence.

“Students came in wanting to help but not always understanding where they fit,” said Capt. Brandon Roth, XO course officer in charge. “They left with a clear understanding that the XO is not just a supporting role, but a pivotal leader responsible for resourcing operations and enabling mission success.”

The curriculum covered key XO responsibilities, including logistics, legal processes, command discipline programs and administrative requirements. Instruction came from a mix of field-grade officers, noncommissioned officers and warrant officers who shared practical, real-world experience.

The course also gave junior officers a rare opportunity to connect across units and specialties, allowing them to exchange challenges, solutions and best practices while building a network that extends beyond the classroom.

“The networking alone was huge,” said Roth. “You don’t often get the chance to sit down with other XOs and talk through how things actually work in the units.”

Participant feedback indicated the course met its intent of improving confidence and readiness. Attendees also recommended adding more hands-on training and practical exercises, expanding access to key systems, and opening the course to platoon leaders and officers projected to serve as XOs.

Course leaders agreed.

“The most significant takeaway is the clear and urgent need for this course,” said Roth. “Attendees consistently expressed that this knowledge is essential and that without it, new XOs are not fully prepared for the scope of their duties.”

Washington Army National Guard leadership is considering making the XO Course a mandatory requirement for all newly assigned company executive officers, with potential expansion to include all newly commissioned lieutenants. As the program evolves, future iterations are expected to incorporate more interactive training, enhanced resource guides, and expanded networking opportunities, further strengthening the next generation of leaders and ensuring units across the state remain ready, capable, and mission-focused.

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

EDGEWOOD, Md. – Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers conducted medical evacuation training with two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, integrating local law enforcement K-9 units during an exercise at Lauderick Creek Military Reservation, April 1.

The training brought together about 30 participants from Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Police, along with eight police dogs. The exercise aimed to improve interagency coordination and prepare medics and aviators to treat both handlers and K-9s in complex emergency scenarios — a capability not routinely trained for.

“While I was deployed to Kosovo in 2021, there was a K-9 unit there, and I had been tasked with creating a K-9 medical bag. I remember feeling that the training I had up to that point was inadequate for what I would need if there was an actual emergency involving a K-9,” said Maryland Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Joanna Adams, flight medic noncommissioned officer assigned to Company C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment. “After I came back from deployment, I started looking into getting training for my unit with K-9s.”

Two scenarios were conducted simultaneously, exposing participants to a range of operational and medical challenges.

One scenario focused on familiarizing K-9s with helicopter operations, including noise, rotor wash and environmental stressors. Guardsmen executed hoist operations with Montgomery County officers using a rescue seat and a plastic stretcher for non-ambulatory patients, while ground crews controlled a tagline to stabilize the load.

The second scenario introduced a complex tactical medical situation involving Cecil County officers and their K-9s. In the simulation, a K-9 and its handler were injured by a hostile drone strike, while a detained suspect sustained a bite wound during an escape attempt. Medics assessed and triaged patients under stress before evacuating them by air. During the flight, crews treated the handler’s injuries and dressed the K-9’s simulated wounds.

“Our medics and crew chiefs enjoyed being able to use skills that we do not get to use very often, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with these civilian units,” said Adams. “The most rewarding thing I learned was that even when things were not going 100% the way I had planned, everyone was still learning, and sometimes the deviations were better than what the original plan was in the first place.”

The event built on previous collaboration with the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office last summer, when K-9 teams received initial aircraft familiarization and practiced hoist operations using a basket lift.

During the training, law enforcement officers also shared techniques for safely disengaging a K-9 from a bite and responding if a medic is accidentally bitten while rendering aid.

“Not only do we have the fortune of building strong foundations in the units we serve in and are able to effect change over many years, but we also directly impact the community we live in,” said Maryland Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Colin Winand, flight paramedic noncommissioned officer assigned to Company C, 1-169th Aviation Regiment. “Knowing that I can assist my neighbors while completing missions makes the desired outcome that more important.”

Treating both K-9s and their handlers requires specialized knowledge, including assessing vital signs and understanding the effectiveness of medications for working dogs. The training gave medics and aviators a rare opportunity to practice those skills in realistic conditions.

“It was really great to work with the police dogs and their handlers before a real-world emergency,” said Adams. “Knowing what works and what doesn’t is really important when working with animals before a bad day happens. I was really impressed with the dogs and the officers. They are very well-trained, so it makes it easy to work with them and determine best practices so we can be ready to respond for our state and nation when we are needed.”

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