Features

Today in 1918, Soldiers and officers of the DCNG's Separate Battalion of Infantry arrived in France for service in World War 1
April 13, 2022 — On this day in Capital Guardians history: April 13, 1918, Soldiers and officers of the D.C. National Guard’s 1st Separate Battalion of Infantry arrived in France for service in World War I. The unit’s origins date to Reconstruction but it was formerly organized in the D.C. Militia in 1891, during the early Jim Crow era, as a segregated (“separate”) and all-black unit. Re-designated as the 1st Battalion, 372nd Infantry Regiment in January 1918, the D.C. Guardsmen served with a distinction and bravery that rivaled the famed “Harlem Hellfighters.” The proud legacy and lineage of the 1-372nd Infantry Battalion survives today in the 372nd Military Police Battalion, D.C. Army National Guard... MORE

“Company ‘B’ 372nd Infantry,” Unit photograph. Original Photographer: Unknown. Date Taken: Nov. 1918-Jan. 1919. District of Columbia National Guard Collections, D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Jerry Saslav)

D.C. Guard, USO Open Nation’s First USO Lounge Located in a National Guard Armory
April 13, 2022 — (April 12, 2022) - The D.C. National Guard (DCNG) and the USO National Capital District today opened the nation’s first permanent USO lounge located in a National Guard armory. The lounge in the Family Readiness Suite at the D.C. Armory, 2001 East Capitol Street SE in the District, is the first in a pilot program designed to put USO facilities in National Guard Readiness Centers nationwide... MORE

National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson and his wife, Kelly, join DCNG adjutant general Brig. Gen. Aaron Dean, USO National Capital executive director Lisa Marie Riggins and DCNG Family Programs director Maj. Michael Robinson to cut the ribbon on the new USO lounge at the D.C. Armory April 12, 2022. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Craig Clapper)

Strengthening Military Partnerships TRADEWINDS 22
March 31, 2022 — Belize City, BLZ – Service members from 23 countries including Mexico, the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, Colombia, and Brazil gathered for the second time in Belize to plan the TRADEWINDS 2022 exercise... MORE

A Guyanese Defense Force officer interacts with a member of the Canadian Army following the opening ceremony of Tradewinds 2021. Tradewinds 2021 is a U.S. Southern Command sponsored Caribbean security-focused exercise in the ground, air, sea, and cyber domains, working with partner nations to conduct joint, combined and interagency training, focused on increasing regional cooperation and stability. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. N.W. Huertas)

D.C. Army Guard Opens First Recruiting Office in the District in More Than a Decade
March 18, 2022 — (March 18, 2022) -- For the first time in more than a decade, the D.C. Army National Guard has opened a storefront recruiting office in the District... MORE

D.C. Army Guard to Open First Recruiting Office in the District in More Than a Decade Tomorrow at 10 a.m.
March 17, 2022 — The D.C. Army National Guard (DCNG) will open its first storefront recruiting office in the District in more than a decade during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday, March 18, 2022. Members of the media are invited to tour the new office and to interview senior D.C. Army National Guard leaders... MORE

DOD Approves MPD and USCP Request for National Guard Traffic Control Support
February 22, 2022 — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has approved requests from the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) for District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) assistance with traffic control during First Amendment demonstrations expected in the city in the coming days... MORE

The D.C. National Guard MAC sharpens skills during annual training
August 25, 2021 — With the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, the District of Columbia National Guard's Multi-Agency Augmentation Command conducted annual training at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, August 2-8, to ensure readiness and increase their capabilities to support their mission better... MORE

With the backdrop of the Appalachian Mountains, the District of Columbia National Guard's Multi-Agency Augmentation Command conducted annual training at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, August 2-8, to ensure readiness and increase their capabilities to support their mission better.

D.C. National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team trains with partners and local government in Puerto Rico
August 20, 2021 — Soldiers and airmen of the District of Columbia National Guard 33rd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team along with other CST’s from Texas, North Carolina, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia’s Fire and Emergency Management Service, trained in emergency response scenarios at Ft. Buchanan and the municipality of... MORE

Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team members in protective equipment respond to a potential chemical, biological, or radiological threat while participating in a training event at Ft. Buchanan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 17, 2021. The training scenarios include response, evaluation, testing, and securing the area of contamination. The members are made up of soldiers and airmen from the 33rd WMD-CST, District of Columbia National Guard, along with other CST's from Texas, North Carolina, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Management Service.

DC National Guard hold groundbreaking ceremony for new recruiting office
July 28, 2021 — The D.C. National Guard held a groundbreaking ceremony here to mark the beginning of construction for the new Storefront Recruiting Office for the D.C. Army National Guard... MORE

District of Columbia National Guard leadership surveys the future site of the District of Columbia National Guard recruiting storfront in Washington, D.C., July 28. The storefront office, which is leased on behalf of the D.C. Army National Guard by the Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through their Real Estate mission, will provide a more accessible location to potential recruits in the District. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Anthony Small)

To the deployed members of the 113th Wing, their families and friends
July 21, 2021 — Through times of peace and times of war, the D.C. National Guard has honored its commitments to the nation and the District of Columbia. The D.C. National Guard has been there from the fields of France and the beaches of Normandy to the skies above D.C. on 9/11, and protection of the U.S. Capitol. We remain ready and vigilant... MORE

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon from District of Columbia Air National Guard’s 113th Wing, known as the “Capital Guardians,” lands on the flight line at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, July 9, 2021. The wing deployed a contingent of F-16s to PSAB to reinforce the base’s defensive capabilities, provide operational depth, and support U.S. Central Command operations in the region. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Samuel Earick)