Kentucky Guard

Kentucky Air Guard fosters multi-capable Airmen with training for engineers
September 15, 2023 — Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Civil Engineer Squadron completed mission-ready training designed to promote the development of multi-capable Airmen... MORE

Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Civil Engineer Squadron utilize defensive fighting positions during a training exercise in Shepherdsville, Ky., June 2, 2023. The purpose of the training was to promote multi-capable Airmen by training them on skills outside of their primary jobs. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

Dierfeldt named top field-grade physician in Air Guard
August 31, 2023 — Lt. Col. Daniel Dierfeldt, chief of aerospace medicine for the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Medical Group, has been named Air National Guard’s Field-Grade Physician of the Year for 2022... MORE

Lt. Col. Daniel Dierfeldt, chief of aerospace medicine for the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Medical Group, has been named field-grade physician of the year for the Air National Guard. Dierfeldt was instrumental in maintaining readiness across the 123rd Airlift Wing, based in Louisville, Ky. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Flynn concludes 28 years of service to Air Force, Air National Guard
July 21, 2023 — Col. David Flynn retired from the Kentucky Air National Guard during a ceremony at the 123rd Airlift Wing in Louisville, Kentucky, May 20, concluding a distinguished career that spanned more than 28 years... MORE

Col. David Flynn, outgoing director of air operations for Joint Force Headquarters—Kentucky, speaks during his retirement ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., May 20, 2023. Flynn is retiring after 28 years of military service. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

Kentucky Air Guard strengthens ties with NATO allies in Air Defender
June 24, 2023 — More than 130 Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard arrived in Germany in early June to participate in NATO’s largest-ever multinational air force redeployment exercise, Air Defender 23, joining with more than 10,000 personnel and hundreds of aircraft from 25 partner countries... MORE

Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky National Guard, marshal a German aircraft tug towing a C-130J Super Hercules at Wunstorf Air Base, Wunstorf, Germany, June 12, 2023. Exercise Air Defender integrates both U.S. and allied air-power to defend shared values, while leveraging and strengthening vital partnerships to deter aggression around the world. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Hartman retires after 23 years of service
June 23, 2023 — Chief Master Sgt. Donald J. Hartman, chief enlisted manager for the 123d Force Support Squadron, retired from military service during a ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base May 21, 2023, ending a career spanning more than 23 years... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Donald Hartman, right, outgoing senior enlisted leader for the 123rd Force Support Squadron, receives a certificate of retirement from Lt. Col. Kevin Krauss, 123rd Contingency Response Support Squadron commander, during Hartman’s retirement ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., May 21, 2023. Hartman is retiring after 23 years of military service. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

Kentucky Air Guardsman continues grandfather's WWII legacy
June 14, 2023 — Kentucky Air Guardsman honors grandfather's service legacy in Germany during Air Defender 23... MORE

Maj. Matthew Skeens, a logistics readiness officer with the 123rd Contingency Response Element from Louisville, Kentucky, stands by a memorial on Wunstorf Air Base, Germany, June 7, 2023. The stone commemorates those who served in the famous Berlin Airlift. Skeens, who is deployed here in support of Exercise Air Defender 23, holds a picture of his grandfather, U.S. Air Force pilot Kenneth Skeens, who flew in that mission 75 years ago from this base. Exercise Air Defender integrates both U.S. and Allied air power to defend shared values, while leveraging and strengthening vital partnerships to deter aggression around the world. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Vicky Spesard)

Kentucky Air Guard recognizes 2022 retirees
May 19, 2023 — Fifty-one retirees of the Kentucky Air National Guard were honored April 22 when a plaque bearing their names was unveiled during a ceremony at the 123rd Airlift Wing... MORE

The names of 51 Airmen have been added to a monument at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., recognizing service members who retired from the organization in 2022. The names, inscribed on a black granite plaque in front of the 123rd Airlift Wing’s Lt. Gen. John B. Conaway Headquarters Building, were announced during a ceremony at the base April 22, 2023. (U.S. Air National Guard photo illustration by Dale Greer)

123rd Contingency Response Group trains on sling loads with 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade
May 16, 2023 — Airmen assigned to the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group trained on hot-refueling techniques and prepared cargo for a helicopter-borne sling load carry at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Ky., March 23, 2023. The training, conducted jointly with the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, enhances the Air Guard unit’s ability to employ UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in domestic and wartime environments... MORE

Airmen assigned to the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group train on hot-refueling techniques and prepare cargo for a helicopter-borne sling load carry at Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort, Ky., March 23, 2023. The training, conducted jointly with the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, enhances the Air Guard unit’s ability to employ UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in domestic and wartime environments. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)

Andrews concludes 35 years of service to Guard, Reserves
May 16, 2023 — Chief Master Sgt. Scott Andrews retired from military service during a ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base April 29, 2023, concluding a career that spanned 35 years of service in the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Scott Andrews, right, material management chief enlisted manager for the 123rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, receives the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal from Lt. Col. Leslie Brooks, 123rd LRS commander, during Andrews’ retirement ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., April 29, 2023. Andrews is retiring after 35 years of military service. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

LaMastus, Penne, Newby selected as top Airmen for 2022
March 25, 2023 — Senior Airman Elijah LaMastus, Master Sgt. Ryan Penne and Master Sgt. Jason Newby have been selected as the Kentucky Air National Guard’s Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2022... MORE

Senior Airman Elijah LaMastus has been selected as the Kentucky Air National Guard’s Outstanding Airman of the Year for 2022. He will be honored during a banquet to be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center on March 25, 2023. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Thompson named KYANG First Sergeant of the Year
March 25, 2023 — Master Sgt. Joshua Thompson of the 123rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has been selected as the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 2022 First Sergeant of the Year... MORE

Master Sgt. Joshua Thompson of the 123rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has been selected as the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 2022 First Sergeant of the Year. Thompson amassed more than 500 hours as an instructor at Maintenance University, leading 325 service members through 12 days of training events and increasing the squadron’s overall aircraft proficiency. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Phil Speck)

Congressional staff visit Kentucky National Guard
February 28, 2023 — Staff members from Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation spent the day at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, Feb. 17, 2023, meeting Soldiers and Airmen, and learning about the robust mission capabilities of the Kentucky Guard... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Hunter, a medic from the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade, briefs staff members from Kentucky’s Congressional Delegation about unit capabilities Feb. 17, 2023, at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky. The staffers were touring the base to learn more about the mission sets of the Kentucky National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Kentucky Guard Airmen supporting exercise in South Pacific
February 14, 2023 — A team of contingency response Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard arrived in the Northern Mariana Islands Feb. 12, 2023, to provide cargo handling and aircraft maintenance services for Cope North, a multinational exercise designed to enhance combat readiness in the South Pacific... MORE

Tech. Sgt. Monica Sealey, a loadmaster with the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 156th Airlift Squadron, directs the loading of a vehicle onto a C-17 Globemaster III at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Feb. 10, 2023. The vehicle is being transported to the Northern Mariana Islands for Cope North, a multinational exercise designed to enhance combat readiness in the South Pacific. Fourteen Kentucky Air Guardsmen from the 123rd Contingency Response Group are providing air base-opening and cargo-handling capabilities for Cope North. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Phil Speck)

Cooper draws 3-decade career to a close as commander of 123rd Medical Group
November 4, 2022 — Col. Michael A. Cooper concluded his military career with a retirement ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 11, 2022, drawing a close to 30 years of distinguished service... MORE

Col. Michael A. Cooper, commander of the 123rd Medical Group, retires from military service during a ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 11, 2022. Cooper served for 30 years in the Kentucky Army National Guard, Air Force Reserve and Kentucky Air National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Otto takes command of 123rd Medical Group
November 3, 2022 — Col. Hans F. Otto assumed command of the 123rd Medical Group during a ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 11, 2022, replacing Col. Michael A. Cooper, who is retiring... MORE

Col. Hans F. Otto, right, accepts the guidon of the 123rd Medical Group from Col. Bruce Bancroft, commander of the 123rd Airlift Wing, during a change-of-command ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 11, 2022. Otto is replacing Col. Michael A. Cooper, who has served as the group’s commander since 2014 and is retiring. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Fatality search and recovery mission helps bring closure to disaster
November 1, 2022 — Never before had Airman 1st Class Brandon Porter seen the kind of destruction left by a tornado after it ripped through a candle factory in Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021, starting a fire that killed eight people... MORE

Airman 1st Class Brandon Porter, left, and Master Sgt. Kevin Woodard from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s Fatality Search and Recovery Team inspect a generator used in recovery operations during training at the 123rd Airlift Wing in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 8, 2022. The FSRT, part of the 123rd Force Support Squadron, assisted local coroners during historic flooding in Eastern Kentucky this summer. (U.S. Air Force photo by Phil Speck)

Zollman assumes command of 123rd Maintenance Group
October 31, 2022 — Lt. Col. Jerry Zollman took charge of the 123rd Maintenance Group during a change-of-command ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, Sept. 11, 2022... MORE

Lt. Col. Jerry Zollman, right, accepts the 123rd Maintenance Group guidon from Col. Bruce Bancroft, 123rd Airlift Wing commander, during the group's change-of-command ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 11, 2022. Zollman assumed command from Col. Ash Groves, who has been named director of staff at Headquarters, Kentucky Air National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)

Wilkinson concludes career as special tactics officer who rose to become top Air Guardsman
September 12, 2022 — Brig. Gen. Jeffrey L. Wilkinson concluded his military career at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base Aug. 18, 2022, drawing an end to 28 years of service that saw him rise through the ranks to become the state’s top Air Guardsman... MORE

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey L. Wilkinson, center, outgoing assistant adjutant general for Air, renders his final salute to Army Maj. Gen. Haldane B. Lamberton, left, adjutant general of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, during Wilkinson’s retirement ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 13, 2022, as Brig. Gen. David Mounkes, incoming assistant adjutant general for Air, looks on. A career special tactics officer, Wilkinson served the Air Force and Air National Guard for more than 28 years. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Security Forces conduct specialized law-enforcement training
September 10, 2022 — Twenty-two Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Security Forces Squadron recently conducted a week of training San Luis Obispo, California, focused on supporting law enforcement... MORE

Members of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Security Forces Squadron a conduct riot-control exercise at Camp San Luis Obispo, Calif., May 18, 2022. The event was part of law-and-order training completed by more than 20 unit members over six days in central California. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Phil Speck)

123rd Airlift Wing welcomes new command chief
September 10, 2022 — The 123rd Airlift Wing welcomed a new wing command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Steven D. Best, to the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, May 3, 2022... MORE

Command Chief Master Sgt. Steven Best engages with service members from the 123rd Airlift Wing, after assuming the role of wing command chief for the Kentucky Air National Guard in Louisville, Ky., May 3, 2022. Best has served with the wing since 1998 in the 123rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, and was awarded First Sergeant of the Year for the wing in 2015. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Chloe Ochs)

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