Kentucky Guard

Kentucky Infantry officer promoted to colonel
January 30, 2023 — Kentucky Army National Guard Lt. Col. Jason P. Penn was promoted to the rank of colonel during a ceremony at Wellman Armory in Frankfort, Ky. on Jan. 18, 2023. Maj. Gen. Haldane B. Lamberton, Kentucky’s adjutant general, hosted the event and provided remarks... MORE

Jason P. Penn is promoted to colonel during a ceremony at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Kentucky, Jan. 18, 2023.

Kentucky Aviators say their goodbyes, set to deploy to Africa
November 16, 2022 — Soldiers with Detachment 4, Charlie Company, 2/245th Aviation Regiment, 63rd Theater Aviation Battalion will be charged with flying C-12 King Air fixed wing aircraft in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During their deployment they will be providing air movement support throughout the Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) area of responsibility... MORE

Four Soldiers with Detachment 4, Charlie Company, 2/245th Aviation Regiment, 63rd Theater Aviation Battalion will be charged with flying C-12 King Air fixed wing aircraft in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. During their deployment they will be providing air movement support throughout the Africa Command’s (AFRICOM) area of responsibility.

Command Chief Warrant Officers change over
October 28, 2022 — Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dwight D. Harlan relinquished the responsibility over Kentucky’s warrant officer corps to the new Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ricky L. Skelton... MORE

Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Harlan relinquished the responsibility over Kentucky’s warrant officer corps to the Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ricky L. Skelton.

Kentucky Engineer Soldier takes advantage of flood recovery resources available to aid in cleanup.
September 1, 2022 — Sgt. Ronnie Banks is a maintenance section leader with the 207th Engineer Company and a full-time technician as a production controller at FMS 6, which flooded when the North Fork Kentucky River rose to over 43 feet on July 28... MORE

The Armory sits on the North Fork Kentucky River, whose waters rose to over 43 feet.

Kentucky Artillerymen step up, help battle buddy in need
August 15, 2022 — Three years ago, Spc. Akir Jackson was involved in an automobile accident in January 2019 and sustained a traumatic brain injury. Since the accident, he has been bound to a wheelchair and unable to walk. Recently, Jackson got a bigger motorized wheelchair but it was going to be too big to access his house and fellow Guardsmen stepped in to help... MORE

Several Kentucky National Guard Soldiers, as well as, a few civilians, donated their time to help build a needed ramp so Spc. Akir Jackson could access his home with his new electrical wheelchair.

2/147th Bravo Co. Renegades take over Camp Grayling Airfield to Conduct Annual Training
July 26, 2022 — Fifty-six Soldiers from Bravo Co. 2/147th and two medics from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, or HHC, loaded five UH-60 helicopters on July 9th in Frankfort, Ky., and made their way north to Camp Grayling Airfield on Michigan's northern peninsula to conduct annual training... MORE

Fifty-six Soldiers from Bravo Co. 2/147th and two medics from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, or HHC, loaded five UH-60 helicopters on July 9th in Frankfort, Ky., and made their way north to Camp Grayling Airfield on Michigan's northern peninsula to conduct annual training.

Guard Soldiers train with Unmanned Aerial System team
July 22, 2022 — The RQ-11B Raven is a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) that provides reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and force protection for the battalion commander and below during day and night operations. The Raven is roughly 4.2 pounds and has a wingspan of 4.5 feet. It can operate up to 10km away depending on battery and signal strength but can also be handed off while in the air to another operator at a distant end. The video feed comes back to the team on the ground and then can be streamed through a Global Broadcast System (GBS) for command staff to watch live... MORE

The training was conducted by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joe Alexander and Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Welch from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Ky.
and Staff Sgt. Gaylon Johnson, who is the only master trainer in the KYARNG.

Guardsmen aid in water shortage
July 5, 2022 — The Soldiers with the 2061st Multi-Role Bridge Company as well as the 206th Engineer Battalion, 201st Engineer Battalion, and 103rd Chemical Battalion have been working with Kentucky Emergency Management on efficient ways to source water from local rivers due to the recent low levels from Old Town Lake, which is the town’s water source... MORE

Soldiers from within the 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade began transporting water from the Trade Water River to Old City Lake, near Marion. Army Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicles transported non-potable storage tanks daily with the goal of moving up to 80,000 gallons of water to the reservoir to minimize decreasing lake concerns. In addition, bottled water was also distributed at the Old Marion Armory to town residents.

Field Artillery Showcases firepower
June 30, 2022 — The 1/623rd utilized this requirement to showcase its capabilities to McCreary County’s Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps (JROTC) and demonstrated a joint training effort by certifying a crew from the 238th Regional Training Institute and hosting Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) from the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky Air National Guard. ... MORE

The 1/623rd utilized this requirement to showcase its capabilities to McCreary County’s Junior Reserves Officers Training Corps (JROTC) and demonstrated a joint training effort by certifying a crew from the 238th Regional Training Institute and hosting Joint Terminal Attack

Kentucky National Guard celebrates 230th birthday
June 27, 2022 — Airmen and Soldiers from across the Commonwealth gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, June 24, 2022, to celebrate the 230th birthday of the Kentucky National Guard, one of the nation’s oldest state militias... MORE

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Wilkinson, left, the Kentucky National Guard’s assistant adjutant general for Air; Airman 1st Class Maryah Bridges, center left; Spc. John Stark, center right; and Col. Joe Gardner, the Kentucky Guard’s Chief of Staff for Army, cut a ceremonial cake during a celebration honoring the 230th birthday of the Kentucky Guard in Louisville, Ky., June 24, 2022. The organization was established in 1792 by Gov. Isaac Shelby, 19 days after the Commonwealth became the 15th state of the Union. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Guarding Thunder over Louisville: a Behind the Scenes Look at the Kentucky National Guard's Involvement in one of the State's Most Significant Annual Events
April 30, 2022 — On April 23rd the Louisville waterfront hosted the 33rd annual Thunder Over Louisville in coordination with the Kentucky Derby Festival. The Kentucky National Guard supported the event in several capacities from the air and on the ground. This is a behind-the-scenes story of the KYNG Thunder Over Louisville mission... MORE

Several units from three Kentucky National Guard Brigades and the 123rd Air Lift Wing supported local agencies in a variety of ways during the 50th Anniversary of Thunder over Louisville Air Show, on April 24, 2022, on Louisville’s Great Lawn.

Aviators Get Dunked
April 24, 2022 — The course put Soldiers in a chamber resembling the troop area of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that submerged and flipped over in an indoor pool. The training given allowed the Soldiers to develop survival skills that could save their lives if they were ever in a helicopter crash over water... MORE

Dunker is a training that prepares helicopter pilots and crew members in life saving measure if they were to ever find themselves having to abandon their air craft in an inadvertent submerged situation.

Kentucky Guard gives helicopter rides to ChalleNGe Academy cadets
April 21, 2022 — The youth challenge programs are a 22-week alternative education program for at-risk kids that gives them the opportunity to learn various skills, values and self-discipline. Each year they partner with the Kentucky National Guard and allow the teens to get a ride over Frankfort in a military aircraft. Something these kids never imagined getting to do and are even scared to do. ... MORE

Each year they partner with the Guard and allow the teens to get a ride over Frankfort in a military aircraft. Something these kids never imagined getting to do and are even scared to do.

Kentucky Guardsman makes move to the Capital in support of the Commonwealth
February 16, 2022 — Over the past several years, leadership from the Kentucky Guard have picked up their lives to make D.C. their temporary home in support of the Commonwealth's mission. As Hart completes ILE in preparation for the next chapter of his career, it is evident that his work ethic, his pursuit of opportunity, and his voice will be essential for the organization's future for years to come... MORE

Leading in the Guard requires more than just Bull$#!t.
January 31, 2022 — Guest Commentary by Lt. Col. Steve Mattingly, 138th Field Artillery Commander Successfully leading a part-time force requires authentic leaders that know their $#!T. The military profession is more accustomed to authoritarian leadership however the evolving nature of our American culture coupled with civilian competition for our volunteer force requires a paradigm shift for an authentic leader. The end goal of Army leadership hasn’t changed; inspire, influence, provide purpose, direction and motivation to accomplish a mission or improve your organization. The manner in which leaders lead is more critical now than ever... MORE

National Guard leaders visit Kentucky Guardsmen
January 25, 2022 — National Guard Bureau Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead and Army National Guard Command, Sgt. Maj. John T. Raines III, along with Kentucky’s State Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Withers, Air National Guard Chief Master Sgt. James Tongate, met with Soldiers in Mayfield and Murray, Ky., to encourage the troops to share thoughts about their experience with the tornado response mission... MORE

Kentucky National Guard leadership welcomed National Guard Bureau’s senior leaders on Jan. 23-24, to recognize Guard members for their efforts and thank them for supporting local communities in western Kentucky. Senior Enlisted Advisor Tony Whitehead receives a coin from Spc. Cameron Maley at the Mayfield Fairgrounds distribution site in Mayfield, Ky., Jan. 22, 2022.

Kentucky Aviator recognized for four decades of service
December 14, 2021 — Chief Mattox currently serves as the as the only qualified UH-60 Maintenance Examiner, a Maintenance Test Pilot, Instructor Pilot, and Instrument Examiner on both models of Blackhawk aircraft presently in Kentucky Aviation... MORE

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dave Mattox celebrates 40 years of service to his country

Kentucky Guard Displays Versatility and Professionalism
November 4, 2021 — Since August 31, 2021, Kentucky National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have augmented hospital staff across the Commonwealth performing non-clinical tasks during a COVID-19 pandemic surge. Soldiers arrived at The Medical Center at Bowling Green not knowing what tasks they might be asked to complete, and within a few short days, began functioning as though they were seasoned employees of the hospital... MORE

The Kentucky National Guard has been requested to provide support to hospital staff across the Commonwealth

Official signing of the 2021 Kentucky National Guard Joint Labor-Management Agreement
October 28, 2021 — Members from the Association of Civilian Technicians (ACT) met with since promoted Maj. Gen. Hal Lamberton, Kentucky Adjutant General, for the official signing of the 2021 Kentucky National Guard Joint Labor-Management Agreement, Oct. 25, 2021, on Boone National Guard Center, Frankfort, Ky... MORE

From left to right, Association of Civilian Technicians (ACT) members, Mr. Pete Rendon, president of the Air Bluegrass Chapter, Maj. Gen. Hal Lamberton, Kentucky Adjutant General, Mr. Chris Searcy, president of the Kentucky Army Chapter pose for a photo prior to the official signing of the 2021 Kentucky National Guard Joint Labor-Management Agreement, Oct. 25, 2021, on Boone National Guard Center, Frankfort, Ky.

Enlisting an officer: one Soldier's story of perseverance
October 28, 2021 — On Sept. 24, 2021, in a room packed with family, friends, and respected colleagues at Bowman Field Armory, Gonzalez ended his 16 years of military service as an enlisted service member to begin his officer career... MORE

2nd Lt. Orlando Gonzalez poses for a photo Feb. 20, 2021 on Boone National Guard Center. Gonzalez ended his 16 years of military service as an enlisted service member to begin his officer career.

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