News from the Oklahoma National Guard

National Guard Bureau Leaders Say Taking Care of Guardsmen Key to Meeting Mission at Home, Abroad
February 9, 2024
Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau, meets with Arkansas Guardsmen assigned to Task Force Bowie, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, on rotation overseeing training with the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Oct. 21, 2023.

Oklahoma National Guard hosts inaugural Domestic Operations Symposium
January 23, 2024
Oklahoma Army National Guardsman Capt. John Schatz, a nuclear medical officer with the 63rd Civil Support Team, talks with members from emergency response agencies at the inaugural Domestic Operations Symposium at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Jan. 23, 2024. More than 20 emergency response agencies from across the state gathered for the event to build a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities, encourage collaborative planning, mutual aid, and participation in upcoming training events. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Reece Heck)

Oklahoma Guard aviation unit trains for deployment to Kosovo
January 11, 2024
A Soldier with Echo Company, 1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter Battalion), 244th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, Oklahoma Army National Guard watches a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter take off at Fort Cavazos, Texas, Jan. 10, 2024. The 244th AHB underwent rigorous mobilization training in preparation for their upcoming deployment to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Cpl. Danielle Rayon)

Oklahoma aviation unit deploys to Kosovo
December 30, 2023
Loved ones gather alongside nearly 50 Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen during a deployment ceremony held Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at the Army Aviation Support Facility 2 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Members of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion (Assault Helicopter Battalion), 244th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, will deploy overseas to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian (KFOR). KFOR is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo that is comprised of 27 partner nations. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Reece Heck)

Retired Guardsman strengthens the future of aviation by honoring its past
December 30, 2023
Retired Col. Robert Prater, a former 137th Special Operations Wing Guardsman, shows air show attendees his T-6G Texan aircraft at the Tinker Air Show on July 1, 2023, at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City. Prater has been flying World War II-style aircraft for over 20 years to share military history with future generations. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Erika Chapa)

137th SOW celebrates 2023 Oklahoma Women in Aviation
December 8, 2023
woman speaks at podium

Maj. Gen. Thomas Mancino's Veterans Day message to the OKNG
November 8, 2023
Veterans Day 2023 graphic

Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldier trains for the Olympics
October 19, 2023
Spc. Dalton Duffield, an Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldier and Moore, Oklahoma native, throws his competitor during a wrestling practice match at Fort Carson, Colorado, Aug. 8, 2023. Duffield is a member of the Oklahoma National Guard and a Greco-Roman wrestler pursuing his Olympic goals through the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

OKNG RTI first in nation to use female mannequins for medical training
October 19, 2023

63rd Civil Support Team trains with first responders from across the state
October 19, 2023
A member of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team, Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Poland, constructs a solid sole raker that would hold a wall in place when damaged, during a collapsed building exercise at the Edmond Fire Training Center, Edmond, Oklahoma, October 4, 2023. This simulation is part of a biennial weeklong operational readiness exercise, designed to ensure local first responders maintain preparedness and familiarity with one another. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Reece Heck)

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
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