News from the Oklahoma National Guard

Oklahoma Army National Guard member reaches highest rank for warrant officers
June 17, 2024 — An Oklahoma Army National Guardsman has been promoted to chief warrant officer 5, one of the rarest held positions in the state. Oklahoma City native, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Teneshea Jones who serves at the Oklahoma National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters in Oklahoma City as a senior human resource warrant officer was promoted to chief warrant officer 5, June 2, 2024... MORE

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Teneshea Jones, of Oklahoma City, is pinned with her new rank of chief warrant officer 5 during her promotion ceremony in Oklahoma City, June 2, making her the first African American female to achieve the rank. Jones currently serves as the senior human resource warrant officer in the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters. Less than one percent of warrant officers achieve the rank of chief warrant officer five, making it one of the rarest ranks to attain within the OKARNG. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Spc. Anthony Ackah-Mensah)

Oklahoma National Guard’s STARBASE OKC hosts STEM summer camp
June 14, 2024 — The Oklahoma National Guard’s STARBASE Oklahoma City hosted a science, technology, engineering and math summer camp at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base, June 10-14, bringing excitement and educational opportunities to the children of Oklahoma National Guard members living in the Oklahoma City area... MORE

Larry Tettleton, an instructor with STARBASE Oklahoma City, teaches campers how to program a small robot during the STARBASE OKC summer camp at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City, June 10, 2024. More than 50 children of Oklahoma National Guard members and Will Rogers Air National Guard base employees attended the camp where they took part in science experiments, built and coded robots to complete simple tasks, learned about computer aided design, and met with National Guard members to hear how STEM education helped propel them on successful careers in the military. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade welcomes new commander
June 14, 2024 — The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, held a change of command ceremony at Camp Gruber Training Center near Braggs, Oklahoma, June 11, 2024, marking the end of Col. Andrew Ballenger's tenure and welcoming Col. Khalid Hussein as the new commander... MORE

Maj. Gen. Thomas Mancino, adjutant general for Oklahoma, passes the unit colors to Col. Khalid Hussein, incoming commander of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, during a change of command ceremony held at Camp Gruber Training Center near Braggs, Oklahoma, June 11, 2024. Command of the 45th IBCT passed from Col. Andrew Ballenger, who led the unit since 2022 through numerous deployments and training exercises. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Cpl. Danielle Rayon)

1st Lt. Makya Stell wins NetWars, continues OKGuard legacy of cyber excellence
June 12, 2024 — 1st Lt. Makya Stell, a signal officer with the 205th Signal Company, made history and continued the OKGuard's legacy of cyber excellence while winning the annual NetWars competition at Cyber Shield... MORE

Oklahoma Army National Guardsman 1st Lt. Makya Stell, assigned to the 205th Network Signal Company, 45th Field Artillery Brigade, wins the annual “NetWars” games during the Cyber Shield training event held at the Virginia National Guard State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach on June 8th, 2024. Stell was the first woman to have ever won the “NetWars” games as an individual player. SANS NetWars focuses on the practical application and assessment of hands-on cybersecurity training. The cyber range enables individuals to apply the knowledge they gained during training week in an isolated environment that prepares them for exercise week. Cyber Shield is the longest-running and largest Department of Defense cyber exercise composed of approximately 900 N.G. and Army Reserve Soldiers, Airmen, civilian cyber professionals, and international partners from across the globe. (North Carolina National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Hannah Tarkelly).

Oklahoma National Guard breaks ground on trench warfare lane
June 5, 2024 — The Oklahoma National Guard broke ground on a new state-of-the-art one-way attack trench warfare lane at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma on June 2... MORE

Leaders from the Oklahoma National Guard break ground on the Oklahoma National Guard’s new one-way attack trench warfare lane at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma on June 2, 2024. After reviewing how the war in Ukraine has developed over the last two years, Oklahoma National Guard leadership elected to construct a trench warfare lane to ensure its Citizen-Soldiers are ready to face large-scale combat operations against near-peer enemies like Russia and China. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Conner McBride)

Oklahoma Guardsman named US National Guard Region V NCO of the Year
May 29, 2024 — Staff Sgt. Brock Wilson, an Oklahoma City resident serving in the Oklahoma Army National Guard has been named the US National Guard Region V Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. ... MORE

Staff Sgt. Brock WIlson, an Oklahoma City resident and Oklahoma Army National Guard member is recognized as the US National Guard Region V Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Gauret Stearns)

Oklahoma National Guard breaks ground on new museum
May 16, 2024 — The Oklahoma National Guard broke ground on the new Oklahoma National Guard Museum in Oklahoma City in a ceremony attended by veterans and current National Guard members on May 16... MORE

(Left to right) Chris Benge, president, Oklahoma National Guard Museum Foundation, Denise Neil, executive director, Oklahoma National Guard Museum, Rep. Judd Storm, Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, the adjutant general for Oklahoma, Sen. Brenda Stanley, Rep. John Talley, and Sen. Julia Kirt break ground during a ceremony to commence the construction of the Oklahoma National Guard Museum in Oklahoma City, May 16, 2024. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Oklahoma National Guard holds annual Wellness Day event
May 15, 2024 — Members of the Oklahoma National Guard gathered to participate in a Wellness Day event at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Norman, Oklahoma, May 7, 2024... MORE

Capt. Essence Campbell, human relations/equal opportunity officer, participates in the “Social Wellness: Mentorship” breakout session during a Wellness Day event at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Norman, Oklahoma, May 7, 2024. Planned annually during mental health awareness month, the Wellness Day aims to educate and equip Soldiers and community partners with tools to promote holistic health and readiness for its service members. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Cpl. Danielle Rayon)

Oklahoma National Guard assists in Sulphur tornado relief
May 13, 2024 — Members of the Oklahoma Army National Guard are assisting residents of Sulphur, Oklahoma recover from a devastating EF3 tornado that tore through the town on April 27. ... MORE

Sgt. Andrew Serna, a Dallas, Texas resident serving with Delta Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, operates a forklift during tornado recovery efforts at the Murray County Expo Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma, May 9, 2024. Serna is one of the Oklahoma National Guard members activated to assist in warehouse operations supporting the emergency relief effort after an EF3 tornado devastated Sulphur on April 27. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Haden Tolbert)

Oklahoma Guard recruiting battalion hosts fitness challenge for local CTE schools
May 13, 2024 — Oklahoma Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion hosts physical training challenge for local career technical education schools at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Norman, Oklahoma, May 3, 2024... MORE

Video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert

Oklahoma Army National Guard hosts Best Warrior

Oklahoma National Guard

Nov. 9, 2024 | 1:30

Sixteen Soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard competed in the 2025 OKARNG Best Warrior Competition at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma, Nov. 6-8, 2024.

At the conclusion of the competition, Spc. Juan Lopez, a resident of Stillwater, Oklahoma assigned to the 1st Battalion, 160th Field Artillery Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team as a signal operations support specialist, won the title of Soldier of the Year, while Sgt. James Bording, a resident of Claremore, Oklahoma assigned to the 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th IBCT as an infantryman, was awarded the title of Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. (Oklahoma National Guard Video by Sgt. Haden Tolbert)

CG:
00:23:15
Command Sgt. Maj. John Hernandez
Command Sgt. Maj. for Oklahoma

00:38:14
Spc. Juan Lopez
2025 Soldier of the Year

00:46:23
Sgt. James Bording
2025 Noncommissioned Officer of the Year