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Local Guard soldiers assist with inauguation security

Rusty Dennen — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:19:15 +0000

About 300 soldiers and airmen from the Virginia National Guard are working in Washington today, helping with security operations for President Obama’s inauguration. Fredericksburg-based Headquarters Company, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion is among those working in Washington, D.C., according to a Guard press release. They are among about 6,000 National Guard personnel from 25 states and territories on hand for the event.

Local Guard soldiers helping with inauguration

Rusty Dennen — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 23:13:44 +0000

About 600 Virginia National Guard soldiers and airmen–including some from the Fredericksburg area–will be among the cadre of support workers for President Obama’s inauguration on Monday. They’ll assist with traffic control, crowd management, communications and chaplain support, says Guard Spokesman Cotton Puryear. Another 100 personnel from the Virginia Army National Guard, Virginia Air National Guard and Virginia Defense Force will handle command and support duties in Sandston and other locations around the state.

Soldiers from the Virginia Beach-based 229th Military Police Company will support the Secret Service and Washington police with security and traffic control in the vicinity of the inauguration parade route. Soldiers from the Staunton-based Detachment 1 of the 266th MP Company, Fredericksburg-based Headquarters Company, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, and Airmen from the 192nd Security Forces Squadron from Langley Air Force Base will also assist with operations in D. C.

Area soldiers back from Afghanistan duty

Rusty Dennen — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:30:08 +0000

Four Virginia National Guard soldiers from Fredericksburg were among 65 Guard troops returning to Camp Shelby, Miss., over the weekend from service in Afghanistan. The Virginia Guard said in a press release that the soldiers were assigned to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Afghan National Security Force Development Team. They served as advisors and mentors to senior Afghan leaders since November 2011. The unit included about 30 Virginia Guard soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division at Fort Belvoir, and was augmented by soldiers from other units around the state. About 35 troops came from the Maryland National Guard. The team was split among five locations in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital city. Plans for their return to Virginia and Maryland have not been finalized.

Bowling Green guard soldiers to be honored

Rusty Dennen — Fri, 18 May 2012 22:06:02 +0000

Twenty soldiers from Bowling Green will be among more than 160 National Guard troops honored for their service in Afghanistan, according to the Virginia National Guard. The Freedom Salute for the Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Brigade Combat Team Headquarters will be held at the Richmond Convention Center Sunday at 10 a.m. The unit served in Zabul, in the southeastern part of Afghanistan, on counter-insurgency operations. The Bowling Green-based Detachment 1, Company B, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, provided aerial reconnaissance support with the Shadow unmanned aerial system. They flew more than 300 missions, resulting in the detention of 20 insurgents, and locating six insurgents placing improvised explosive devices, according to a Guard press release. The units served in Afghanistan from July 2011 to January of this year.