Kentucky Guard

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)

Spaulding concludes distinguished military career after 35 years of service
August 8, 2022 — Chief Master Sgt. Gary L. Spaulding was retired from the Kentucky Air National Guard during a ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, June 12, 2022, concluding a 35-year career of distinguished service to the Commonwealth and nation... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Gary L. Spaulding, right, military personnel management officer for the Kentucky Air National Guard, receives a plaque from Maj. Gen. Charles M. Walker, director of the Office of Complex Investigations at the National Guard Bureau, during Spaulding’s retirement ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., June 12, 2022. Spaulding served 35 in the Kentucky Air Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Phil Speck)

Lalonde retires after three decades in the Kentucky Air Guard
July 30, 2022 — After more than 30 years of service to the Kentucky Air National Guard, Col. David S. Lalonde was officially retired in a ceremony held in Louisville, Kentucky, May 14, 2022... MORE

Col. Robert Hamm, left, former commander of the 123rd Operations Group, presents Col. David Lalonde, director of Air operations at Joint Forces Headquarters—Kentucky, with the Legion of Merit during Lalonde’s retirement ceremony, held May 14, 2022 at the Kentucky Air National Guard base in Louisville, Ky. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)

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)

Names of 13 fallen Soldiers added to Kentucky National Guard Memorial
June 1, 2022 — The names of 13 fallen Soldiers were added to the Kentucky National Guard Memorial during a ceremony in Frankfort, Kentucky, May 30, 2022, recognizing their ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom... MORE

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James R. Tongate, left, Kentucky Air National Guard state command chief; and Army Maj. Gen. Haldane B. Lamberton, the adjutant general of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, place a wreath at the Kentucky National Guard Memorial during a ceremony in Frankfort, Ky., May 30, 2022. The memorial honors 286 Solders and Airmen from the Kentucky Guard who have paid the ultimate price for freedom since 1912. (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

Two Soldiers from the 2/138th Field Artillery Bn. wait for the command to load thir 105mm howitzer on the Second Street Bridge on April 23, 2022, in Louisville, Ky. The Soldiers manned six – 105mm howitzers in support of Kentucky's Thunder over Louisville. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ryan Wilhoit)

Thunder air show draws large crowds for 75th Air Force celebration
April 25, 2022 — Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the banks of the Ohio River on April 23 for the annual Thunder Over Louisville air show, which marked its return with more than 30 aircraft to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Air Force... MORE

The U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va., performs an aerial demonstration over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville, Ky., April 23, 2022 as part of the Thunder Over Louisville air show. This year’s event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Aircraft arrive at Kentucky Air Guard Base for Thunder air show
April 21, 2022 — Military aircraft began arriving at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, April 21, 2022 for this weekend’s Thunder Over Louisville air show, including the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team... MORE

A U.S. Air Force pilot guides his F-22 Raptor to a parking spot on the flight line of the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., April 21, 2022. The two-ship Raptor Demonstration Team
will be among the highlights of this year’s Thunder Over Louisville air show, to be held on the banks of the Ohio River in downtown Louisville on April 23. The event, which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force, is slated to feature more than 30 military and civilian aircraft, including the B-2 Spirit, C-17 Globemaster III, CV-22 Osprey, CH-53 Sea Stallion, F-16 Viper and UH-60 Blackhawk, in addition to eight historic warbirds like the B-24 Liberator, B-29 Superfortress and P-51 Mustang. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Ky. Air Guard Public Affairs earns 4 more national awards, eclipsing triple-digit mark
March 30, 2022 — Public Affairs specialists from the Kentucky Air National Guard earned four awards of excellence in the 2021 Air National Guard media contest, the National Guard Bureau announced March 24, bringing their total number of national honors to 103... MORE

Senior Airman Eric Burk (left) and Master Sgt. Judson Wisely, loadmasters from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Operations Group, simulate an airdrop June 14, 2021, over mountain terrain in Puerto Rico as part of Maintenance University. Kentucky aircrews also re-certified on low-level tactical maneuvers and open-ocean flying during the week-long event. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)

Kentucky Air Guardsman recalls Evansville crash 30 years later
February 28, 2022 — Steve Bullard remembers the morning of Feb. 6, 1992 with perfect clarity. That day, the former Kentucky Air National Guard navigator was pulled off a fatal C-130B Hercules training flight just minutes before takeoff. ... MORE

The base newspaper of the 123rd Tactical Airlift Wing provided coverage of a fatal C-130B Hercules crash in Evansville, Ind., on Feb. 6 1992. The mishap claimed 16 lives. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

Air Guard director meets Airmen at 123rd Airlift Wing
January 13, 2022 — The director of the Air National Guard arrived in style at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, Jan. 7, landing aboard a new C-130J Super Hercules being delivered from the Lockheed-Martin factory in Marietta, Georgia... MORE

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh, director, Air National Guard, speaks to Airmen from the 123rd Airlift Wing at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, Jan. 8, 2022. During the visit, Loh toured the base and learned about the various mission sets within the Kentucky Air Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

Kentucky Air Guardsmen featured in national ad campaign
December 31, 2021 — Three Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard are being highlighted in a new national ad campaign funded by the National Guard Bureau... MORE

Senior Airman Kennedy Powell, a medical technician from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Medical Group Detachment 1, is filmed tending to simulated patients at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., on April 16, 2021. The footage is being used for a national ad campaign funded by the National Guard Bureau to advertise the Air National Guard. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

Kentucky Air Guard supports tornado recovery effort in Mayfield
December 23, 2021 — Seventeen Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard have completed a 10-day mission to Mayfield, Kentucky, to provide traffic control and security patrols as residents struggle to recover from a Category 5 tornado that carved a 220-mile-long path of destruction across five states Dec. 10 and 11, leveling much of this small town and leaving 76 people dead in Kentucky... MORE

Airman 1st Class Jayden Guthrie of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Security Forces Squadron directs traffic in Mayfield, Ky., Dec. 18, 2021. Guthrie and 16 other security forces Airmen mobilized from Louisville, Ky., to augment the Mayfield Police Department following a Category 5 tornado that leveled much of the town. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)

Kentucky’s 123rd Airlift Wing named top mobility flying unit in Air National Guard
December 5, 2021 — The Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Airlift Wing has been named the top mobility flying unit in Air National Guard for 2021, officials announced in Louisville, Kentucky, Dec. 5... MORE

Col. Bruce Bancroft, commander of the 123rd Airlift Wing, speaks to hundreds of Air Guardsmen during a ceremony celebrating the wing’s fifth Curtis N. “Rusty” Metcalf Trophy at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Dec. 5, 2021. Bestowed annually by the National Guard Association of the United States, the trophy recognizes the airlift or air refueling unit that demonstrates the highest standards of mission accomplishment. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

Kentucky Air Guard enters new era with arrival of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft
November 6, 2021 — Two new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft buzzed over the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 6, 2021, before taxing to stop on the flight line under the spray of water cannons while a crowd of Airmen cheered their dramatic arrival... MORE

One of two new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft arrives at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 6, 2021, ushering in a new era of aviation for the 123rd Airlift Wing. The state-of-the-art transports are among eight the wing will receive over the next 11 months to replace eight aging C-130 H-model aircraft, which entered service in 1992 and have seen duty all over the world. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Clayton Wear)

C-130J Super Hercules aircraft being prepped for debut at Kentucky Air Guard
November 5, 2021 — Two new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft are being readied in California to join the Kentucky Air National Guard fleet as maintainers apply distinctive artwork to the planes’ exterior paint in preparation for their debut in Louisville, Kentucky, Nov. 6... MORE

An Airman from the 123rd Maintenance Group observes the freshly-applied tail art of one of the Kentucky Air National Guard’s newly acquired C-130J Super Hercules aircraft at Channel Islands Air Guard Station in Port Hueneme, Calif., Nov. 3, 2021. The aircraft is replacing the C-130H Hercules, which has been in service to the Kentucky Air National Guard since 1992. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Horton)

New technology reduces energy costs, improves air quality at Response Forces Facility
October 30, 2021 — The 123rd Airlift Wing’s recently dedicated Response Forces Facility features new air handling technology that can reduce energy use by up to 36 percent while improving air quality for occupants... MORE

Current and retired members of the 123rd Airlift Wing joined friends and family for the dedication of a new Response Forces Facility at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base in Louisville, Ky., July 30, 2021. The 28,000-square-foot building will house the 123rd Security Forces Squadron, the 123rd Contingency Response Group, a Fatality Search and Recovery Team, and a medical detachment for the state’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Phil Speck)

Soldiers participate in leadership engagement course
October 27, 2021 — The course intends to give leaders practical concepts and models to guide them toward better communication with their colleagues and practical engagement with their subordinates... MORE

Kentucky Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse Withers meets with attendees of the leadership engagement course Sept. 9-10 at the 123rd Air Lift Wing. The 2 day course is designed to help Soldiers progress their effective leadership skills.

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