190th Air Refueling Wing hosts Kansas Department of Transportation MAGIC Camp.
By Bailey Hittle | Aug. 12, 2022
June 9 was a magical day at the 190th Air Refueling Wing in Topeka. The Kansas Department of Transportation held a week-long MAGIC Camp (Mentoring A Girl In Construction) for high school girls wanting to explore nontraditional career fields and the 190th was one of their stops.
35th Infantry Division hosts SHARP Academy Foundation course
By Bailey Hittle | July 29, 2022
The 35th Infantry Division hosted the National Guard Bureau Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program Academy Foundation at the Fort Leavenworth armory June 6 - 17. Attendees at the 80-hour course were a mixture of National Guard Soldiers from Kansas and other states, including Missouri, New York, Rhode Island and Tennessee.
Warrant officer candidates celebrate end of Phase I
By Bailey Hittle | July 22, 2022
On July 10, warrant officer candidates from the 1st Battalion, 235th Regiment Warrant Officer Candidate School, Class 22-001, completed Phase 1 in Salina, Kansas, marking the occasion with a graduation ceremony.
Flight crew training gives Soldiers a new perspective
By Bailey Hittle | July 8, 2022
During their annual training June 12, flight crews with Company G, 1st Battalion, 111th General Support Aviation Battalion, conducted sling load operations with a hook team on the ground. Although this isn’t uncommon, it isn’t something that Company G Soldiers typically support from the ground and provided flight crews the opportunity to see things from a different perspective.
“Training Tomorrow’s Leaders” a multi-echelon effort
By Bailey Hittle | June 24, 2022
The mission of the 1st Battalion, 235th Regiment Officer and Warrant Officer Candidate School is to provide trained and adaptive junior officers and warrant officers who are ready for leadership roles.
Live-fire exercises build skill on the battlefield and unit cohesion
By Bailey Hittle | June 10, 2022
The only way to become good at any task is to practice, practice, practice. This is especially important when it comes to military training, where skill in combat missions can be a matter of survival and victory on the battlefield. The mortar platoons of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 635th Armor Regiment spent several days in early May conducting live-fire gunnery at Fort Riley.
Simultaneous Membership Program opens career path for new second lieutenants
By Bailey Hittle | June 3, 2022
Recently, thousands of young men and women across Kansas hurled their college mortar boards into the air, signaling the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another. Three of these graduates received something in addition to their academic degree: a commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps and a position in the Kansas Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 635th Armor Regiment.
Students get up-close look at life in the Kansas Air National Guard
By Bailey Hittle | May 27, 2022
Twelve Kansas high school juniors and seniors joined recruiters from the 190th Air Refueling Wing - Kansas Air National Guard, Topeka, May 7 for Coyote Day. The students and their family members toured the base as Airmen shared their experiences and knowledge to generate interest in the Kansas Air National Guard and the many career fields offered by the 190th ARW.
Visit reinforces Kansas-Armenia partnership
By Bailey Hittle | May 20, 2022
Maj. Gen. David Weishaar, Kansas adjutant general, and other Kansas National Guard leadership traveled to the Republic of Armenia in May for a key leadership engagement as part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. Since 2003, the partnership has resulted in multiple military to military and civilian to civilian exchanges.
Kansas Air National Guard and Armenia medical leadership conduct medical needs assessment
By Bailey Hittle | May 13, 2022
Lt. Col. Amy Hill, Kansas National Guard State Partnership Program director, along with Col. Linda Goodson and Capt. Charles Ross, 184th Medical Group, met in Yerevan, Armenia, March 21-25 with the U.S. European Command surgeon general, U.S. Air Force surgeon general evaluators, U.S. Embassy personnel and Armenian Armed Forces to carry out a Role 2 Medical Treatment Facility Pre-deployment Assessment.
Kansas Guardsman receives car from Cars4Heroes
By Bailey Hittle | May 6, 2022
Sgt. Heriberto Cruz Meija works in the Joint Operations Center in Topeka, but lives in Eskridge. He is also a member of the 2nd Battalion, 235th Regiment, where he is a culinary specialist instructor. That means a drive to Salina every month. When his car broke down during a winter storm, forcing him into a ditch, he found himself in a dilemma.
Family Readiness volunteers honored in weekend ceremony
By Bailey Hittle | April 29, 2022
Volunteers and spouses of the Kansas Army National Guard were recognized by G1 Personnel Support Services during a ceremony April 23 in Wichita as part of a Wellness Workshop hosted by Soldier and Family Readiness.
Flight paramedics complete recertification course
By Bailey Hittle | April 22, 2022
Company G, 1st Battalion, 111th General Service Aviation Battalion, hosted a National Guard Bureau-funded recertification course March 5-18 for seven Critical Care flight paramedics. The intensive 14-day course, open to Army National Guard flight medics, incorporated medical manikins and Company G’s specialized aviation medicine equipment kits into learning scenarios.
Spc. Khup Lun, 169th Combat Sustainment
By Bailey Hittle | April 15, 2022
“I joined the Guard because I wanted to serve the country who gave me a better life.” Spc. Khup Lun, 169th Combat Sustainment (KSARNG) , was born and raised in Burma. “Our country is so famous because of the military government,” said Lun.
Governor Kelly presents awards to four Kansas National Guardsmen
By Bailey Hittle | April 1, 2022
Governor Laura Kelly presented awards to four Kansas National Guardsmen in a special ceremony March 18 in the Capitol rotunda. The awards were earned in prior years, but the presentations were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Team keeps Kansas National Guard Black Hawks flying
By Bailey Hittle | March 4, 2022
The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is the workhorse aircraft of the Kansas Army National Guard, transporting personnel and equipment, assisting with firefighting and rescue operations and a host of other tasks. Keeping them flying safely takes a lot of maintenance on a regular basis.
Warrant officer candidates complete 10K foot march
By Bailey Hittle | Feb. 24, 2022
Warrant officer candidates from the 1st Battalion, 235th Regiment Officer and Warrant Officer Candidate School, completed a milestone during the February drill weekend by finishing a 10K (6.2 mile) foot march, which is no small task.
Guard engineers repairing fence line at Kansas Training Center
By Bailey Hittle | Feb. 11, 2022
In early January, while most units were returning from the holidays, engineers at the Kansas Training Center in Salina were back on the job, repairing fences surrounding the complex. Repairing the fence line had been identified as a top physical security priority.
Kansas Civil Air Patrol Wing hosts annual cadet encampment
By Bailey Hittle | Jan. 28, 2022
The Kansas Civil Air Patrol Wing Training Group held its 2021 Winter Encampment at the Kansas National Guard Regional Training Center, Salina, from Dec. 27, 2021, to Jan. 2, 2022. The cadet encampment is a week-long immersive experience into the military lifestyle.
International chaplains discuss ways to reach their common goals
By Bailey Hittle | Jan. 14, 2022
In November 2021, Chaplain (Col.) Terry Williams, state chaplain, and Sgt. Maj. David Mundy, chief religious affairs noncommissioned officer, were two of many representatives from 21 state National Guards and 23 partner nations attending a joint training event in Stuttgart, Germany. The goal of the event, hosted by Headquarters, U.S. European Command, was to introduce new ways to maximize common goals that increase Multinational Religious Support Interoperability.
Kansas Guardsmen get the opportunity to bag a few pheasant
By Bailey Hittle | Jan. 7, 2022
Seven Guardsmen from the Kansas Army and Air National Guard spent Dec. 10, 2021, hiking through fields hoping to get a bird at the annual TAG Pheasant Hunt at Muddy Creek Game Preserve in Meriden, Kansas.