News from the Oklahoma National Guard

From Lindsay to the Jungle: Oklahoma Guardsmen Forge Family and Combat Readiness in Brunei
August 21, 2026 — Deep within the dense, unforgiving canopy of the Rampoyah Jungle, two Soldiers from the small town of Lindsay, Oklahoma, are proving that the fighting spirit of the Oklahoma National Guard translates globally... MORE

RAMPOYAH JUNGLE, Brunei - Deep within the dense, unforgiving canopy of the Rampoyah Jungle, two Soldiers from the small town of Lindsay, Oklahoma, are proving that the fighting spirit of the Oklahoma National Guard translates globally.
Operating thousands of miles from home, Maj. Kent Turner, executive officer for 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Spc. Hannibal Hines, a mechanic with Delta Company, 700th Brigade Support Battalion, 45th IBCT, have taken on distinct roles for Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26, a bilateral training event with the Royal Brunei Land Force designed to strengthen international partnerships and master brutal jungle warfare environments.

OKNG, Royal Brunei Armed Forces strengthen cyber readiness during Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 21, 2026 — While Soldiers maneuver through Brunei’s jungles during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26, another group of Oklahoma National Guard and Royal Brunei Armed Forces personnel are strengthening their defenses in a domain without borders – cyberspace... MORE

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Makya Stell with the Oklahoma National Guard Defensive Cyber Operations Element, participates in cyber incident response training during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Aug. 13, 2026. Pahlawan Warrior is a biennial bilateral exercise between U.S. Army Pacific and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces designed to enhance readiness, interoperability, and the enduring partnership between the two nations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)

OKGuard military police unit returns from Middle East deployment
August 21, 2026 — Friends, family members and Oklahoma National Guard leaders welcomed home nearly 50 Soldiers from the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 745th Military Police Detachment, 345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command, during a homecoming ceremony in Mustang, Oklahoma, Aug. 20, following a nine-month deployment to the Middle East... MORE

An Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldier assigned to the 745th Military Police Detachment, 345th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 90th Troop Command, Oklahoma Army National Guard, hugs a loved one during the unit’s welcome home ceremony in Mustang, Oklahoma, Aug. 20, 2026. The Citizen-Soldiers reunited with loved ones during a welcome home ceremony honoring the unit’s nine-month deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Oklahoma National Guard helps fight Burnt Canyon Fire
August 18, 2026 — Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers conducted aerial fire fighting operations at the Burnt Canyon Fire near Woodward, Oklahoma on Saturday, August 15... MORE

Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers conducted aerial fire fighting operations at the Burnt Canyon Fire near Woodward, Oklahoma on Saturday, August 15. The UH-60 Black Hawk crew conducted 33 aerial water drops, delivering more than 21,000 gallons of water to help firefighters contain the fire. The Oklahoma National Guard's assistance was requested by the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

180th Cavalry Regiment, Royal Brunei Land Forces build teamwork through fitness
August 18, 2026 — U.S. Army Soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard, active-duty Army and members of the Royal Brunei Land Forces conduct physical training during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26 at Tutong Camp near Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Aug. 12, 2026... MORE

U.S. Army Soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard, active-duty Army and members of the Royal Brunei Land Forces conduct physical training during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26 at Tutong Camp near Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Aug. 12, 2026. Pahlawan Warrior is a bilateral exercise held biennially between U.S. Army Pacific and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces designed to enhance readiness, interoperability, and the enduring partnership between the two nations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Video footage by Sgt. Anthony Ackah-Mensah, Oklahoma National Guard

OKGuard supports wild land fire operations near Woodward
August 15, 2026 — At the request of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, the Oklahoma National Guard activated one UH-60 Black Hawk and crew on August 15 to support wild land fire operations near Woodward, Oklahoma... MORE

US Army, Royal Brunei Land Forces conduct land navigation training during Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 14, 2026 — U.S. Army Soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard's 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, alongside active-duty Army, work side-by-side with members of the Royal Brunei Land Forces during jungle land navigation training as part of Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26 at Tutong Camp near Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, Aug. 12, 2026... MORE

U.S. Army and Royal Brunei Land Force (RBLF) Soldiers work together to plot a grid coordinate on a map during jungle land navigation training at Tutong Camp, Brunei Darussalam, Aug. 12, 2026. Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers with 1st Squadron, 180th Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team worked alongside 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, RBLF to develop land navigation skills in a jungle environment as part of Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26. Exercise Pahlawan Warrior is a biennial bilateral exercise between the U.S. Army Pacific and the RBLF, designed to enhance readiness, interoperability, and strengthen bilateral defense cooperation. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)

US Army, Royal Brunei Land Forces kick off Exercise Pahlawan Warrior 26
August 12, 2026 — Approximately 130 U.S. personnel are participating in Pahlawan Warrior 26, a bi-annual U.S. Army Pacific and Royal Brunei Land Force exercise as part of Operation PATHWAYS. The Oklahoma National Guard serves as the primary U.S. training force for this year’s iteration, working alongside Bruneian counterparts to strengthen readiness, interoperability and the enduring relationship between the two forces... MORE

U.S. Army Col. Michael Scanlon, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Oklahoma Army National Guard (left) presents a gift to Lt. Col. Haji Mohammad Airul Wizam bin Haji Ahmad, Deputy Field Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force (right), during the opening ceremony for Exercise Pahlawan Warrior at Tutong Camp near Bandar Seri Begawan, Aug. 11, 2026. Pahlawan Warrior is a bilateral exercise held biennially between U.S. Army Pacific and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces designed to enhance readiness, interoperability, and the enduring partnership between the two nations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)

Oklahoma, Guam and Malaysian forces sharpen combat skills with MILES
July 21, 2026 — Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers, alongside Guam National Guard and Malaysian Forces, sharpened their warfighting skills during a force-on-force training exercise using the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) as part of Keris Strike 2026 near Kota Belud, Malaysia, July 19, 2026... MORE

U.S. Army Spc. Tyler Ganter (front) and Staff Sgt. Cooper Richards, infantrymen with 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard, utilize Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES) to simulate force-on-force engagement during Exercise Keris Strike near Kota Belud, Malaysia, July 19, 2026. KS 26 incorporates MILES training to create realistic battlefield scenarios that strengthen combat readiness and multinational interoperability among American, Australian and U.S. Forces. (Oklahoma National Guard photo by Sgt. Danielle Rayon)

Oklahoma Citizen-Soldier harnesses AI to save thousands of hours of work
June 17, 2026 — A groundbreaking new artificial intelligence tool developed by an Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldier is set to transform how the state processes military awards, potentially saving administrative staff more than 61,000 hours of paperwork while allowing them to focus more on supporting Soldiers and mission readiness... MORE

Sgt. Lorelei Hubbard, an administrative noncommissioned officer assigned to the Oklahoma Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion, uses an artificial intelligence tool to rapidly determine award eligibility for a National Guard member at the RRB headquarters in Oklahoma City on June 17, 2026. The AI tool, developed by Staff Sgt. Herbert Hailey, improves the awards review process, saving hundreds of hours of manual review per Soldier, and could potentially save the OKARNG more than 60,000 hours when applied across the force. (Portions of this image have been blurred for OPSEC/PII purposes)(Oklahoma National Guard photo by Anthony Jones)

Video by Spc. Danielle Rayon

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Oklahoma National Guard seeks new chaplains

Oklahoma National Guard

Nov. 19, 2023 | 2:38

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma National Guard is seeking to bolster its chaplaincy ranks and recruit individuals with a calling to ministry to serve as chaplains. The role of chaplains is critical in providing religious support to Soldiers and advising command on the religious impact on missions. Currently, the Oklahoma National Guard's chaplaincy is only at about half strength, with all chaplains and chaplain candidates identifying as Protestant Christians. The organization is actively seeking a more diverse chaplain corps, including individuals from different faiths and denominations. Notably, there is currently no Catholic chaplain in the state of Oklahoma. "We absolutely would love to have a far more diverse chaplain corps than we do," said Chaplain Lt. Col. David Jordan, full-time support chaplain for the Oklahoma National Guard. The Guard emphasizes the opportunity it offers for chaplains to live and serve in their communities regularly, transitioning to military service when needed for disaster response or other missions. Chaplain Lt. Col. Jordan-full-time support chaplain for the Oklahoma National Guard 00;00;01;05