News from the Oklahoma National Guard

Oklahoma Guardsmen compete to be Best Warrior
May 2, 2023 — Twelve of the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s best Citizen-Soldiers gathered to battle it out for the title of Best Warrior at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma, April 20-23. At the end of the competition, Sgt. Evan Bias, a cavalry scout from Tuttle, Oklahoma, took home the title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, and Spc. Carson Downum, a horizontal construction engineer from Claremore, Oklahoma, earned the title of Soldier of the Year... MORE

Spc. Matthew Giudice II, a fire fighter assigned to Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma Army National Guard, climbs a ladder on the Tough One obstacle during the Best Warrior Competition held at Camp Gruber Training Center, April 21, 2023. The annual competition brings Soldiers together to demonstrate their proficiency in a variety of warrior tasks and drills such as land navigation, marksmanship, an obstacle course, and a 12-mile ruck march, all culminating in an interview with a panel of sergeants major. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Spc. Danielle Rayon)

137th SOW hosts Oklahoma JROTC state drill championships
April 17, 2023 — The Oklahoma JROTC held their 2023 state drill championship meet at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma, April 8, 2023... MORE

two junior rotc cadets exhibit color guard drill demonstration skills

South African native earns US naturalization before military deployment
April 12, 2023 — A South African native currently serving in the Oklahoma Army National Guard is preparing to deploy overseas while also studying for his naturalization test... MORE

Private 1st. Class Dewald Ekron, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 179 Infantry Regiment, Oklahoma National Guard, stands before conducting actions on the objective during pre-moblization training at Ft. Riley, Kan., 25 March 2023. Ekron, a South Africa native, moved to the United States in 2017 to pursue farming. More than 1,000 Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen, including a company each from Nebraska and Indiana, will deploy overseas as Task Force Tomahawk in support of operations within U.S. Africa Command’s area of responsibility. While there, they will provide security support at five installations across multiple East African countries. (Oklahoma National Guard by Sgt. 1st Class Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers compete at the 2023 Bataan Memorial Death March
April 7, 2023 — Oklahoma Army National Guard Col. Brian Coleman and Maj. Jeffrey Kragh competed in the recent Bataan Memorial Death March, March 19, 2023... MORE

zCol. Brian Coleman, Oklahoma Army National Guard, competes in the military light division at the 2023 Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, March 19, 2023. Coleman competed in the military light division, which is 26.2 miles in a full military uniform and finished 7th overall with a time of 5:59:51. (U.S. National Guard photo by Sgt. Gauret Stearns)

Top Air Force honors for Tulsa Civil Engineers
February 21, 2023 — The 138th Civil Engineer Squadron at Tulsa Air National Guard Base has won the 2022 Colonel Fredrick J. Reimer Award and received runner-up for the Major General Robert H. Curtin Award... MORE

137th SOW, OKC first responders conduct tornado response exercise
February 21, 2023 — Airmen with the 137th Special Operations Wing and Oklahoma City first responders from Oklahoma City Fire Department and Oklahoma Emergency Medical Services Authority trained alongside each other during a major accident response exercise at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma City, Feb. 8, 2023... MORE

two people watch as firefighters examine crashed cars during training exercise

Oklahoma National Guard breaks ground on new joint operations center
February 17, 2023 — Leaders from the Oklahoma National Guard, State of Oklahoma and the Chandler community broke ground on a new joint operations center for the Oklahoma National Guard in Chandler, Oklahoma, today... MORE

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (center), Representative Kevin Wallace (third from left), Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino (second from left) and other state leaders break ground for the Oklahoma National Guard Joint Operations Center in Chandler, Oklahoma, Feb. 17, 2023. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Oklahoma Guard hosts second annual Mechanic of the Year competition
February 15, 2023 — Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen gathered to put their mechanic skills to the test at the second annual Mechanic of the Year competition held at the Combined Support Maintenance Shop in Norman, Oklahoma, Feb. 8, 2023... MORE

Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen gathered to put their mechanic skills to the test at the second annual Mechanic of the Year competition held at the Combined Support Maintenance Shop in Norman, Oklahoma, Feb. 8, 2023. Eight four-man teams represented their respective maintenance shops from around the state to show off their skills and prove who is the best mechanic, while also getting to network amongst fellow competitors. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Reece Heck)

Oklahoma Guard team takes first place in environmental awards
February 8, 2023 — The Oklahoma National Guard’s Cultural Resources Management Team took home first place in the Army National Guard Environmental Security Awards for 2022 in a ceremony held at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, Jan. 24. ... MORE

Members of the Oklahoma Army National Guard Cultural Resources Management Team accept their 1st Place award in a ceremony held at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, Jan. 24.

137th SOW hosts the ANG command chief
February 8, 2023 — U.S. Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sgt. Maurice L. Williams visited the 137th Special Operations Wing (SOW) at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma City, Feb. 5, 2023. He has been traveling to wings to ensure changes to the strategic outlook of the guard are being communicated to the lowest level. This marked his 60th base visit... MORE

Chief Master Sgt speaks to airmen at an enlisted all call, people sitting in room while man is speaking

Video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert

Oklahoma National Guard, OK-TF1 and special operations partner for helocast training

Oklahoma National Guard

July 23, 2025 | 1:16

Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen with 1st Battalion, 244th Aviation Regiment, partnered with Oklahoma Task Force 1 and members of the U.S. Air Force’s 9th Air Support Operations Squadron from Fort Hood, Texas, to conduct helocast training at Camp Gruber Training Center, July 23, 2025. The joint training event, part of helocast certification requirements, utilized a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter to execute water insertion techniques critical for rapid infiltration operations.