News

News | May 2, 2024

Nebraska National Guard supports multiple agencies with storm response e...

The Nebraska National Guard is assisting state and local first responders after a tornado caused widespread damage.

News | Dec. 13, 2023

Guardians of Freedom Airshow 2023 named Military Air Show of the Year

The 2023 Guardians of Freedom Air Show was named the Military Air Show of the Year by the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels, during the International Council of Air Show Convention Dec. 5, 2023.The air show was co-hosted for the

Features

Feature | Feb. 13, 2025

As Nebraska Air Guard state command chief master sergeant retires, famil...

LINCOLN, Neb. – They say that the “Guard is Family.”For the Nebraska Air National Guard’s retiring state command chief master sergeant, that statement is more than just words; it’s way of life.Chief Master Sgt. Jeff Horne has spent more than 40 years

Feature | Feb. 6, 2025

Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Horne Retires After 40 Years

After a career marked by a never-ending care for others and fostering valuable relationships with other organizations, states and countries, Chief Master Sgt. Jeffrey Horne officially retired from the Nebraska Air National Guard on Feb. 1, 2025,

Homeland

Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly, Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Richard Burch, and many others helped the National Guard celebrate its 388th birthday, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, during a ceremony at the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The ceremony included speeches, a state rollcall of Nebraska National Guard communities, the awarding of the Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award to a Capt. Grant Hewitt, Soldier and Airmen of the Year recognitions, and the ceremonial cutting of the National Guard birthday cake.

Nebraska leaders celebrate National Guard’s 388th Birthday

By Kevin Hynes | Dec. 17, 2024

Nebraska Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly, Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Richard Burch, and many others helped the National Guard celebrate its 388th birthday, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024,...

On May 1, 2024, a Nebraska Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew flew Nebraska Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly and FEMA and Nebraska Emergency Management Agency officials over the area damaged by a tornado to assess the extent of the damage.

Nebraska National Guard supports multiple agencies with storm response efforts

By Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford | May 2, 2024

The Nebraska National Guard is assisting state and local first responders after a tornado caused widespread damage...

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general, present the Nebraska National Guard Heroism Medal to Sgt. Brandi Sullivan during the Nebraska Adjutant General Change of Command Ceremony, July 8, 2023, at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sullivan is the first recipient of this new award instituted by Pillen through Executive Order 23-12 in June 2023. The Nebraska National Guard heroism medal may be awarded to any individual serving with or supporting the Nebraska Military Department who has distinguished himself/herself by heroism in saving the life, limb, or eyesight of a fellow citizen. Sullivan received the award for her exceptional heroism while responding to a major accident and rendering roadside aid to include cardiopulmonary resuscitation on May 18th, 2019. Sullivan provided critical first aid to multiple victims involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident during a thunderstorm along Interstate 80 near Gretna, Nebraska. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jamie Titus)

Flight medic first to receive new Nebraska National Guard Heroism Medal

By Staff Sgt. Jamie Titus | July 14, 2023

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general, present the Nebraska National Guard Heroism Medal to Sgt. Brandi Sullivan during the Nebraska Adjutant General Change of Command Ceremony,...

Partnerships

Five members of the Nebraska National Guard travelled to Bastogne, Belgium, Jan. 9-14, 2025, where they helped commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the city by Soldiers of Nebraska National Guard’s 134th Infantry Regiment under the 35th Infantry Division, during World War II.

The service members participated in a wreath laying ceremony at a memorial honoring those who liberated the region from Nazi Germany. Joining them in the ceremony were local residents and officials from the city of Lutremange as well as the Timberwolves Remembrance Group Belgium, a reenactment group in Belgium.

The Nebraska Soldiers and Airmen also travelled to the Luxembourg American Cemetery Memorial where they visited the graves of service members laid to rest there while also placing a wreath at the grave marker for Technical Sergeant John Cantoni, a Nebraska National Guardsman from Omaha, Nebraska. Cantoni was killed in action on Jan. 4, 1944, when his foxhole was struck by German fire as he and other members of his unit were defending Bastogne. He had been with the company for less than a week after recovering from wounds he received during the Battle of St. Lo in July 1944.

Echoes of Valor: Nebraska National Guard Returns to Bastogne 80 Years Later

By Staff Sgt. Gauret Stearns | Jan. 2, 2025

BASTOGNE, Belgium -- The Battle of Bastogne, a pivotal World War II clash that took place in the frigid Ardennes Forest in December 1944, is etched into military history lore. In a historic battle of wills, German forces...

Airmen with the Nebraska Air National Guard’s Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package Detachment-1 and 55th Wing role play as injured patients Nov. 13, 2024, during a joint National Disaster Medical System Exercise at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

Nebraska Air Guard CERFP Participates in Joint Exercise

By Airman 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson, | Nov. 15, 2024

The 155th Air Refueling Wing’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package Detachment-1 participated in a full-scale exercise conducted by the National Disaster Medical System. ...

Soldiers with the Nebraska Army National Guard’s Company B, 2-134th Infantry (Airborne), conduct survival, evasion, resistance and escape training Feb. 3-4, 2024, at the Mead Training Site near Yutan, Nebraska. The 59 Soldiers were trained by six U.S. Air Force instructors from the 55th Operations Support Squadron from Offutt Air Force Base.

Nebraska Guard Infantry trains with Air Force on survival tactics

By Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford, | March 1, 2024

Soldiers with the Nebraska Army National Guard’s Company B, 2-134th Infantry (Airborne) conducted survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) training, Feb. 3-4, 2024, at the Mead Training Site near Yutan, Nebraska. ...

Nebraska Army National Guard Maj. Jessica Pan poses with her husband and three children after her promotion ceremony to the rank of major, Feb. 22, 2023, at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. Pan was named as the U.S. Africa Command Bilateral Affairs Officer of the Year for 2023. She serves as the bilateral affairs officer in Rwanda, working with the Office of Defense Cooperation, and the U.S. Ambassador’s country team, providing partner country information on State Partnership Program relevant activities. The Nebraska National Guard and Rwanda Defence Force have had a state partnership since Dec. 12, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Maj. Jessica Pan)

Nebraska Guardsman named U.S. Africa Command’s 2023 Bilateral Affairs Officer of the Year

By Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford | Feb. 13, 2024

U.S. Africa Command announces Nebraska Army National Guard Maj. Jessica Pan as the Bilateral Affairs Officer of the Year for 2023...

Airman 1st Class Bridger Michaud, 55th Operations Support Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist, is hoisted into a Nebraska Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter along with a medic during hoist training Nov. 4, 2023. Company G, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 104th Regiment flew the helicopter from Lincoln to Offutt, enabling personnel from both units to carry out mandatory training.

SERE, Nebraska National Guard Team up for Hoist Training

By 55th Wing Public Affairs | Nov. 7, 2023

The 55th Operations Support Squadron’s survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists, better known as SERE, joined with the Nebraska Army National Guard to conduct hoist training Nov. 4, 2023...

The families of three American servicemembers with Nebraska ties are honored for the roles they played in liberating Czechoslavakia at the end of World War II by Lt. Gen. Karel Rehka, Chief of Defense of the Czech Armed Forces, and 1st Deputy Minister of Defense Frantisek Sulc. The American servicemembers were honored during the opening ceremonies for the Aug. 26, 2023, Guardians of Freedom Air Show in Lincoln, Nebraska. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes)

Czech leaders thank servicemembers’ families in Nebraska for the roles their World War II Veterans played in liberation

By Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes | Sept. 6, 2023

On Aug. 26, 2023, senior leaders of the Czech Armed Forces honored the family of 1st Lt. Virgil Kirkham as well as the families of two other Nebraska service members who participated in the liberation of Czechoslovakia in...

Members of a Czech Delegation including Czech Armed Forces, and Nebraska National Guard leadership came to Nebraska to participate in the airshow this year in celebration of 30 years of partnership with Nebraska and Texas through the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program Aug. 26, 2023. Hosted by the Nebraska National Guard, Offutt Air Force Base, Lincoln Airport and the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, the airshow provides the community with an opportunity to view the robust capabilities of U.S. military air power. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Jamie Titus)

Czech dignitaries travel to Nebraska to celebrate 30th anniversary of partnership

By Lt. Col. Kevin Hynes | Sept. 4, 2023

Thirty years after they were first matched as one of the original collaborations within the National Guard’s State Partnership Program, members of the Czech Armed Forces and representatives from the Nebraska and Texas...

Nebraska Army National Guard Soldiers strive to earn the coveted gold, silver or bronze German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge during the swim event, June 14, 2023, at the Aquacourt in Hastings, Nebraska. The challenging event was hosted by the 402nd Military Police Battalion, and tested 90 Soldiers on marksmanship, swimming ability, physical fitness level and endurance through ruck marching. Fifty Soldiers earned the GAFPB - 14 bronze, 27 silver and 9 gold. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Nathan Reicks)

402nd Military Police Battalion hosts Nebraska’s first German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge testing

By Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford | June 21, 2023

The Nebraska Army National Guard’s 402nd Military Police Battalion hosted Nebraska’s first German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge testing June 14-15, 2023, in Hastings, Nebraska, with 90 Soldiers striving to earn the coveted...

Warfight

A two-person Nebraska Army National Guard sniper team shot their way to a national title, Dec. 13, when they placed first at the 54th Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship, held Dec. 6-13 at the Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver Training Center in Barling Arkansas.

In winning the title, Nebraska’s Staff Sgt. Marc Cruz and Sgt. Chance Baumann – infantrymen who serve in the sniper section of the Lincoln-based Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-134th Infantry (Airborne) – outshot similar teams from the Michigan and Iowa National Guard enroute to the championship.

Nebraska National Guard sniper team wins national championship at Winston P Wilson Matches

By Kevin Hynes | Jan. 2, 2025

A two-person Nebraska Army National Guard sniper team shot their way to a national title, Dec. 13, when they placed first at the 54th Winston P. Wilson Sniper Championship, held Dec. 6-13 at the Fort Chaffee Joint Maneuver...

Airmen from the 155th Air Refueling Wing, respond to a simulated injured airman Feb. 4, 2024, National Guard airbase in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Airmen are exercising a large-scale readiness exercise that relies on well-considered planning, expertly trained personnel, and the willingness to respond to the nation’s needs at a moments notice. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson)

155th Air Refueling Wing demonstrates readiness in large-scale exercise

By Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford | Feb. 16, 2024

The 155th Air Refueling Wing conducted a large-scale readiness exercise, or LRE, on Feb. 2-4, 2024, at the Nebraska National Guard air base in Lincoln...

Friends, family and colleagues gathered together April 16, 2023, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, for a send-off ceremony for 131 Nebraska National Guard Soldiers of Alpha Company, 2-134th Infantry Battalion (Airborne). Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, U.S. Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Nebraska National Guard leaders thanked the Soldiers and their families and remarked on the unique mission they will have during the unit's first deployment. The company will be deployed to the Horn of Africa for close to a year. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Sgt. Gauret Stearns)

A Co., 2-134th Infantry (Airborne) departs for unit's first overseas deployment

By Staff Sgt. Lisa Crawford | April 16, 2023

Friends, family and colleagues gathered together April 16, 2023, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, for a send-off ceremony for 131 Nebraska National Guard Soldiers of Company A, 2-134th Infantry Regiment (Airborne)...

Five hundred and forty-five Soldiers from 21 nations across Kosovo Force Regional Command-East (KFOR RC-E) participate in the traditional Danish Contingency (DANCON) March of 24.27 kilometers near Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo, Jan. 7, 2023. Since 1972, the DANCON March has been conducted wherever Danish soldiers are deployed. (U.S. Army photos by Staff Sgt. Anna Pongo, 111th Public Affairs Detachment, Nebraska Army National Guard)

Nebraska Guardsman wins Danish Contingency March while serving in Kosovo

By Sgt. 1st Class Herschel Talley | Jan. 19, 2023

Nebraska Army National Guard Capt. Travis Kirchner, 111th Public Affairs Detachment commander, achieved a first-place finish in the traditional Danish Contingency (DANCON) March of 24.27 kilometers near Camp Novo Selo,...