An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Articles
News | April 9, 2025

CISM 2025 World Winter Military Games

By Sgt. Denis Nunez

U.S. Army Soldiers from five different states represented the U.S. Armed Forces Sports team at the 2025 CISM (Conseil International du Sport Militaire) Military World Winter Games hosted by the Swiss Military from March 23 to March 30 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

The event consisted of forty-three separate nations and over one thousand athletes competing across 8 different disciplines.

U.S. National Guard Soldiers from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Utah, and Minnesota were present to compete in biathlon, Nordic skiing, ski mountaineering, and alpine snowboarding.

On day one the Swiss Military put on a spectacle of an opening ceremony where team U.S.A. marched out with their flag hoisted proudly among many other nations.

“Friendship through Sport remains the guiding principle of CISM and we are committed to upholding this motto. In these challenging times, the bond of friendship stands as a symbol of strength and unwavering unity, reflecting the spirit of the 5th CISM Military World Winter Games under the theme Military Champions for Peace," said Maj. Gen. Germaine J.F. Seewer, Chief of International Relations Defense.

The following days consisted of incredible alpine weather, Nordic and Biathlon skiing at the Goms Nordic Centre in Geschinen, Ski Mountaineering at Oberalp Pass in Andermatt and Alpine Snowboarding at Titlis Mountain in Engelberg, Switzerland.

After a week of tremendous efforts, the team enjoyed the final closing ceremony in Lucerne where the pride and camaraderie across nations was present. Military members from all represented nations joined together for one final meal and traded national flags, pins, and patches as tokens of the time spent competing in the Swiss Alps.

Standings and scores for all events can be seen on the official CISM 2025 webpage: https://www.cism-wmc.ch/en

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard - April 2025

The above YouTube video link may not work on all government computers. Read the transcript of MG Gregory Knight's full State of the Guard here.

National Guard News
A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the New York National Guard's A Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, prepares to lift an M-117 howitzer belonging to the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery during a training exercise at Fort Drum, New York on June 8, 2025. The 258th Field Artillery's C Battery will be part of a 246-Soldier New York Army National Guard contingent serving as the Opposing Force, or OPFOR, at the National Training Center from July 25 to August 3.
NY Army Guard Serves as Opposing Force at Training Center
By Eric Durr, | July 15, 2025
LATHAM, N.Y.  –  Two hundred forty-six New York Army National Guard Soldiers will go to Fort Irwin, California, the home of the Army’s National Training Center in the Mojave Desert, starting July 15.The Soldiers will serve...

Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines III, SEA to the chief of the National Guard Bureau, Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, the Adjutant General of Maryland and Command Sgt. Maj. David C. Harry, senior enlisted leader of the Maryland Army National Guard, pose for a photo with competitors in the Army National Guard’s 2025 Best Warrior Competition on July 12, 2025, at Under Armour Headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition, hosted by the Maryland National Guard, is an annual event that unites Soldiers and Noncommissioned Officers from seven regions across the United States. Competitors face a demanding series of physical and mental challenges designed to test their military expertise, resilience, and dedication to the Warrior Ethos for the opportunity to advance to Best Squad Competition.
Army Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition Begins
By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Ames, | July 15, 2025
BALTIMORE — The Army National Guard’s 2025 National Best Warrior Competition officially kicked off this week in Maryland, bringing together 14 elite Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from seven regions across the United...

An Oregon Army National Guard HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter, assigned to the 641st Aviation Regiment, conducts a search and rescue mission on July 13, 2025, in the caldera at Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The same Black Hawk later in the day conducted a second rescue mission at Lake Harriett, Southeast of Crater Lake, when three hikers were injured from a falling tree limb.
Oregon Guard Responds to Multiple Search and Rescue Missions
By John Hughel, | July 15, 2025
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Army National Guard’s 641st Aviation Regiment worked with several agency partners to respond to multiple search and rescue operations in one day across the state during its scheduled Inactive Duty...