News

111th ATW commander returns to duty
March 31, 2022 — The commander of the 111th Attack Wing and Biddle Air National Guard Base, Col. Deane Thomey, returned to duty March 30, after a lengthy period of rehabilitation and recovery resulting from a plane crash in October 2021 that took the life of his daughter... MORE

Col. Deane E. Thomey, 111th Attack Wing Commander, receives a hug from Senior Master Sgt. Brian E. Zarilla (right), 111th Mission Support Group Senior Enlisted Leader, at Biddle Air National Guard Base, March 30, 2022, upon his return to duty after a more than 5-month absence. Thomey was recovering from injuries received in a plane crash in October 2021.

Pa. National Guard holds Wi-Fighter Cyber Challenge at Penn State
March 30, 2022 — More than 45 Penn State University students competed in a Pennsylvania National Guard Wi-Fighter Cyber Challenge event on March 16, 2022... MORE

Capt. Sean Smith, right, deputy cyber chief for the Defensive Cyber Operations Element, and a Lebanon, Pa., native, discusses with a Penn State student during the PA National Guard Wi-Fighter Cyber Challenge at Penn State University on March 16, 2022. Smith, also a Penn State alum, assisted students to finish the competition.

Pa. Soldier inducted into Women’s hall of fame
March 29, 2022 — Staff Sgt. Andrea Whelan, a Soldier with the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade, was recently inducted into the Lebanon County Women’s Hall of Fame... MORE

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Andrea Whelan, readiness NCO, Detachment 1, Bravo Company 1-224th Aviation, poses for a photo Feb. 5, 2022, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa. Whelan's unit supports domestic operations.

From friends to Wingmen: childhood friends serve together with 171st ARW
March 24, 2022 — Two childhood friends now serve together with the 171st Air Refueling Wing... MORE

Staff Sergeants Jerrad Skone and Bob Ruzewski both enlisted in the Air Force in 2016 and transitioned to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard in 2020 after completing their active duty contracts. The two have been best friends since third grade and have followed very similar life paths since.

Pa. National Guard ends COVID response mission
March 23, 2022 — After two years and hundreds of missions across the commonwealth, the Pennsylvania National Guard’s COVID-19 response mission has ended... MORE

Spc. Gary Sowash, a combat medic with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2/112th Infantry Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard, administers a COVID-19 vaccine at Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 in Lancaster, Pa., on March 12, 2021. Nearly 90 Pennsylvania National Guard members are supporting COVID-19 vaccination clinics for teachers and school staffs at seven sites across Pennsylvania.

Pa. National Guard is first to field new SIGINT system
March 23, 2022 — The Pennsylvania National Guard recently became the first National Guard in the country to field the new Tactical Dismounted Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence system... MORE

Sgt. Emily Rivas, a cryptologic linguist with the 103rd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, is one of eight Pa. National Guard members training March 17, 2022, at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa., on the new Tactical Dismounted Electronic Warfare and Signals Intelligence (TDEWS) system, which filled a major gap in the training of Soldiers in the intelligence Military Occupational Specialties (MOS).

171st ARW conducts Tactical Combat Casualty Care training
March 18, 2022 — The 171st Air Refueling Wing hosted 11 members from the 911th Airlift Wing Aerospace Evacuation Squadron in a Tactical Combat Casualty Care course on March 16... MORE

From left, Air Force Reservist, Senior Airman Katherine Sparks, assigned to the 911th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, 911th Airlift Wing, witnesses Pennsylvania Air National Guardsman, Lt. Col. James Moretti demonstrate his ability to perform life-saving techniques during a Tactical Combat Casualty Care course evaluation on March 16, 2022.

Pa. National Guard medics train as they fight
March 11, 2022 — Combat medics with the Pennsylvania National Guard participated in a nine-day medic sustainment course recently at Fort Indiantown Gap... MORE

Combat medics with the Pennsylvania National Guard provide security while another renders tactical field care to a simulated casualty as part of the TC8-800 medic sustainment course March 2 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The course enabled the 17 participants to train together with other medics outside their home units Feb. 17-March 3.

1-109th Infantry Soldiers leave for Middle East deployment
March 11, 2022 — About 150 Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division departed Pennsylvania March 4 to begin a deployment to the Middle East... MORE

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, board a plane at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pa., on March 4, 2022, as they begin a deployment to the Middle East.

Pa. National Guard pilots training course for U.S. Northern Command
March 10, 2022 — More than 20 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard joint staff along with partners from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency piloted a three-day staff-training course March 7-9 led by trainers from U.S. Northern Command. ... MORE

Army Maj. Justin Cassidy, future operations officer, and Air Force Maj. Shawn Bearinger, Air future operations officer, discuss plan options during a staff training course March 8 at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. The trial course, hosted by U.S. Northern Command, will be the Phase II of the Joint Staff Training Course. The course trained staff on emergency preparedness using a notional Category 2 Hurricane scenario.