News from the Oklahoma National Guard

Brig. Gen. Harrison retires
May 11, 2023 — Brigadier General Harrison hung up his uniform on May 6, 2023, after a moving retirement ceremony at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Lexington, Oklahoma, after 39 years of service... MORE

Brig. Gen. Jon Harrison, former assistant adjutant general for Oklahoma, speaks during his retirement ceremony at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Lexington, Oklahoma, May 6, 2023. Harrison built a distinguished career over the course of 39 years and earned many awards for his service, including the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star Medal. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Spc. Danielle Rayon)

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

Command Sgt. Major John Hernandez (left), state command sergeant major for Oklahoma, and Sgt. Evan Bias, a cavalry scout assigned to 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, pose at the awards ceremony for the 2023 Best Warrior Competition at Camp Gruber Training Center, Oklahoma, April 23. 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's Task Force Tomahawk prepares for Africa deployment
April 12, 2023 — More than 1,000 Citizen-Soldiers with Task Force Tomahawk recently completed more than a month of training at Fort Riley, Kansas in preparation for an overseas deployment to Africa... MORE

Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, fire an AT4, a shoulder fired, recoilless anti-tank weapon, at Fort Riley, Kan., March 26, 2023. 45th IBCT Soldiers conducted pre-mobilization training in preparation for their upcoming deployment as Task Force Tomahawk supporting operations across three East African countries. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Spc. Danielle Rayon)

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)

Siblings create total force success stories
February 24, 2023 — Two siblings share their stories of success within the Air National Guard and United States Air Force and the family bonds that got them where they are today... MORE

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)

Video by Leanna Maschino

A COVID Story with CW3 Julio Dominguez

Oklahoma National Guard

June 30, 2021 | 6:14

On February 16, 2021, the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s Chief Warrant Officer 3 Julio Dominguez tested positive for COVID-19.

Three days later, he couldn’t breathe.

After being rushed to the hospital, Julio’s condition had worsened to the point of needing a ventilator and was placed into a medically-induced coma.

But that wouldn’t be enough. As his condition rapidly declined, he required an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or “ECMO”, in order to stay alive.

In total, Julio was on a ventilator for 56 days and ECMO for 45 days.

This is his story.