Featured Stories

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen execute precision parachute landings at Freeman Municipal Airport in Seymour, Ind., Sept. 4, 2023, as part of the PJ Rodeo. The biennial event, which tests the capabilities of pararescue Airmen across the service, was hosted by the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)
Air Force Special Warfare operators compete for title as top pararescuemen
Sept. 7, 2023
Special Warfare operators across the U.S. Air Force are in Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 3-9 to vie for the title of top pararescuemen during the 2023 PJ Rodeo.

Children sit in the back of a UH-60 Black Hawk at the 2023 Frankfort Aviation Day in Frankfort, Kentucky, Sept. 16, 2023. The Black Hawk is one of the primary aircraft used by the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade in tactical and humanitarian operations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Caleb Sooter)
KYNG Elevates Aviation Day at Capital City Airport
Sept. 17, 2023
Aviation enthusiasts, families, and community members converged in Frankfort on September 16, 2023, to celebrate Aviation Day at Capital City Airport. In addition to the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade (TAB), the event included Kentucky State Police (KSP), Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM), DreamFlight Charities, local aviation organizations, local police and fire units and others.

Recent News

U.S. Army National Guard Capt. Sarah Drerup receives the Supreme Allied Commander Europe's Recognition Award from Lt. Col. Jason Mendez during a ceremony at the Kentucky National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion Headquarters in Frankfort, Kentucky, Dec. 5, 2023. The award is a recognition of professional competence, unwavering dedication, and remarkable leadership as commander of her liaison monitoring team while deployed to Kosovo in 2022 with the 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment.  (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Cody Stagner)
Drerup recognized by Supreme Allied Commander Europe for leadership
Dec. 8, 2023
Capt. Sarah Drerup of the Kentucky Army National Guard was honored in a ceremony for her achievements during her 2022 deployment in Kosovo. Recognized for her leadership and positive impact, Drerup’s efforts were recognized by U.S. Army General Christopher G. Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and contributed significantly to the success of her unit and the Kosovo mission.

Kentucky Army National Guardsman, 2nd Lt. Dustin McKie-Miller poses with his battle buddy, Army 2nd Lt. Omar Parada, after their graduation from Ranger School at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) Georgia Aug. 18, 2023. McKie-Miller aced every challenge of the Ranger training on his first attempt and finished the course in 62 days, the shortest time possible for training, crediting both luck and skill.  (Courtesy asset)
Kentucky Guardsman completes Ranger school on first go 
Dec. 6, 2023
Army National Guardsman, 2nd Lt. Dustin McKie-Miller aced every challenge on his first attempt at Ranger School and finished the course in 62 days, the shortest time possible for training, crediting both luck and skill.  

U.S. Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Peter Fleming (left) talks with service members of the United Kingdom's 7th Rifle Regiment during Operation Baltic Fist in Tapa, Estonia between June 27 and July 17, 2023. Operation Baltic Fist is part of the Department of Defense's Military Reserves Exchange Program in which U.S. reserve forces train with joint NATO partners to share tactics and procedures in different joint environments. (U.S. Army National Guard photo courtesy of Staff Sgt. Peter Fleming)
Kentucky Guard combat medic trains with MREP exercise
Dec. 6, 2023
A Kentucky Army National Guard combat medic participated in the Military Reserves Exchange Program (MREP) in the United Kingdom and Estonia from June 27 through July 17, 2023. Staff Sgt. Peter Fleming, with the Kentucky Medical Detachment, volunteered for the three-week training that involved infantry companies from the Virginia, Maryland, and Louisiana Army National Guard.

The MG Robert G. Moorhead National Guard and Army Reserve Breakfast at the AUSA 2023 Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. (Carol Guzy for AUSA)
Kentucky Guard wins national award
Nov. 28, 2023
The Kentucky National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry was recently honored with the 2023 General Walter T. Kerwin, Jr. Readiness Award. The unit received the award at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) national meeting and exposition October 9 in Washington, D.C. This is the second time the battalion has received the award. The “Mountain Warriors” first received the award in 2013. The award is presented by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) and the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) and the Reserve Officers Association (ROA). The battalion was also the recipient of the 2023 Maj. Gen. Milton A. Reckord Trophy which secured their entry for the Kerwin Award.

Christi Cole Pope speaks to attendees at an armory naming ceremony in Middlesboro, Kentucky, on Nov. 17, 2023. During the ceremony, the Kentucky National Guard honored her late husband, Lt. Col. Jeffrey D. Cole, a distinguished former company commander at the armory and later battalion commander of the 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry, by naming the facility after him. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Cody Stagner)
Honoring a legacy: a tribute to LTC Jeffrey D. Cole
Nov. 20, 2023
On Nov. 17, 2023, more than 100 attendees joined leaders of the Kentucky National Guard to pay tribute to Lt. Col. Jeffrey D. Cole by dedicating Middlesboro’s armory in his name.

A parachutists skydives into Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 5, 2023, with a U.S. flag as part of Survivor’s Day at the Races, an annual event to honor family members who've lost loved ones in military service to the United States. Hosted with assistance from the Kentucky National Guard, the event drew more than 700 family members from 18 states. (U.S. Air National Guard photo bay Dale Greer)
Survivor’s Day at the Races honors 700 Gold Star Family members at Churchill Downs
Nov. 16, 2023
More than 700 Gold Star Family members who’ve lost loved ones in military service to the United States gathered at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 5, 2023, as part of Survivor’s Day at the Races.

U.S. Air Force operators assigned to the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron conduct a casualty evacuation training scenario with the U.S. Army’s 7th Special Forces Group, Peru’s Defensa y Operaciones Especiales and other Special Operations Forces assets during exercise Resolute Sentinel 23 in Peru, July 20, 2023. Resolute Sentinel improves readiness of U.S. and partner nation military and interagency personnel through joint defense interoperability training, engineering projects and knowledge exchanges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Chris Hibben)
Kentucky Air Guard’s Special Tactics plays key role for Resolute Sentinel in Peru
Nov. 15, 2023
Four members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Special Tactics Squadron played a key role in Resolute Sentinel 23, a multi-national exercise held in Peru to enhance readiness, cooperation and interoperability between partner nations.

Army 1st Sgt. Naarah Stallard (left) receives congratulations from Command Sgt. Maj. John D. Sallee, the retired sergeant major for the 198th Military Police Battalion at her promotion ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky on October 15, 2023. Stallard was pinned to sergeant major by Sallee at the ceremony. (U.S. Army National Guard photo courtesy of Command Sgt. Maj. Naarah Stallard)
Kentucky National Guard MP promoted to Sgt. Maj. through mentorship
Nov. 14, 2023
Kentucky Army National Guard 1st Sgt. Naarah Stallard has been promoted to the rank of sergeant major in Louisville, Kentucky on Oct. 15. Stallard has served 27 years in the military, with the last 22 years in the Kentucky Army National Guard (KYARNG).