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News from the Oklahoma National Guard

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Suport Team trains with Oklahoma State Univeristy Fire Service Training department and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue resposne at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, 2 Aug., 2023. The training focused on to providing a wide range of advance rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

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Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Suport Team trains with Oklahoma State Univeristy Fire Service Training department and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue resposne at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, 2 Aug., 2023. The training focused on to providing a wide range of advance rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by 1st Sgt. Mireille Merilice-Roberts)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 1, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

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63rd CST conducts swift water rescue training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 1, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

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Specialized Oklahoma National Guard unit conducts swift water training

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard's 63rd Civil Support Team conduct swift water training with Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City Fire Service Training. The CST is a specialized National Guard unit that responds to natural and manmade disasters. The training allowed CST members to learn safe and effective water rescue techniques, while reducing risk for first responders.

Members of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 63rd Civil Support Team trained with Oklahoma State University Fire Service Training and Oklahoma City Fire Department on flood rescue response at Riversport Rescue Training in Oklahoma City, Aug. 2, 2023. The training focused on providing a wide range of advanced rescue techniques to reduce risk during a response

Video by Spc. Anthony Ackah-Mensah

SWOSU GOLD Soldiers and student honored for saving fellow student’s life

Oklahoma National Guard

March 13, 2025 | 1:22

Four Southwestern Oklahoma State University Guard Officer Leadership Development (GOLD) program officer candidates and one student lifeguard were honored on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, for their heroic actions in saving a fellow GOLD candidate during a training exercise on Jan. 28, 2025, in Weatherford, Oklahoma.

Spc. Avrie Nowakowski, Spc. Diego Ortiz, Pfc. Rhyson Golightly, and Spc. Austin May were among the officer candidates who received the Army Achievement Medal for their actions.

Statton Mantz, the student lifeguard involved, received the Thunderbird Medal, the Oklahoma National Guard’s highest award presented to a civilian

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