U.S. Army Col. Eddie Dewayne Simpson retired from the Kentucky Army National Guard during a ceremony at the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Ky., Aug. 21, 2026. Over his 35-year military career, Simpson commanded multiple infantry units, built strategic state partnerships, and pioneered early holistic health and fitness initiatives that drastically improved Soldier readiness.

Surrounded by family, friends, and fellow Service members atop the Hill at Western Kentucky University, Col. Michael Armstrong was promoted to the rank of brigadier general Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026.

Members of the KYNG’s 41st Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team trained alongside North Carolina National Guard’s 42nd CST at the Jim Beam Booker Noe Plant in Boston, Aug. 11, 2026. The joint exercise tested how the teams integrate during a complex chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive (CBRNE) incident.

Two Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Medical Group traveled to Ecuador in April to share information about the unit’s Critical Care Air Transport Teams with their Ecuadorian colleagues.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Haldane B. Lamberton, Kentucky's adjutant general, discussed the evolution of the National Guard during the University of Louisville's McConnell Center Strategic Broadening Seminar at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, Kentucky, Sept. 1, 2026. The monthlong program provided military personnel and Department of Defense civilians with a graduate-level academic experience to examine leadership, national security, and American constitutionalism.

The Kentucky National Guard hosted 146 participants for the inaugural Royal Danish Flyver Ruck March at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Aug. 28, 2026. The 12.43-mile event promoted physical readiness and camaraderie while allowing participants to earn the Danish Flyver Medal, a newly authorized foreign award. The march also marked the final official ruck for U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Lear, serving as a fitting final chapter to his nearly 40-year career.

U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Aaron Lester relinquished responsibility for Kentucky’s 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade to Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan Jefferson during a ceremony in Richmond, Kentucky, Sept. 11, 2026. Lester moves on to be the senior enlisted advisor to Indiana’s 38th Infantry Division.

Kentucky National Guard military police Soldiers supported local authorities in Newport, Kentucky, Sept. 6, 2026, during the 50th anniversary of Riverfest. Soldiers from the 198th Military Police Battalion worked alongside the Newport Police Department to provide law enforcement augmentation and traffic control for the milestone event.

More than 50 civilian employers had the opportunity Sept. 10 to learn more about the Airmen, missions and capabilities of the Kentucky Air National Guard by participating in an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve “Bosslift.”

Patriot ’26 brought together approximately 1,000 Airmen and Soldiers from National Guard units representing 35 states, along with federal, state and local agencies, for realistic domestic-response scenarios designed to improve readiness and interagency coordination during large-scale emergencies. Soldiers from Kentucky's 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation Regiment of the 751st Troop Command, 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, operated UH-72 Lakotas during the exercise.

Kentucky Army National Guard aviators enhanced their readiness for domestic emergencies during Patriot 2026 in Wisconsin, Aug. 24-31, 2026. The exercise provided realistic flight and joint-response training while strengthening partnerships with military, law enforcement and civilian emergency responders.

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jennifer Watson relinquished command of the 1792nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion to Maj. Anthony Moore during a ceremony in Bowling Green, Aug. 23, 2026. The passing of the battalion colors symbolized the formal transfer of authority and responsibility for the sustainment unit's mission and Soldiers.