News

by Lt. Col. (retired) Shirley J. Olgeirson, NDNG Historian

Seventy-five years ago, North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers were arriving home from both sides of the globe. The 188th and 957th Field Artillery Battalions celebrated victory against a diabolical dictator and the 164th Infantry Regiment helped defeat an evil emperor. A mere five years later, many of the same Soldiers were again federalized for the “Korean Conflict”.

By Sgt. Taryn K. Benton, 188th Army Band

The 188th Army Band provided outstanding musical support to their fellow Soldiers and to the communities of North Dakota in 2020 despite the limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The unit adapted to N.D. Smart Restart guidelines to resume their training and operations. Continuing their rich tradition of service, the 188th AB used music to bring people together during a time of isolation and uncertainty.

by Sgt. Michaela Granger, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

N.D. National Guard (NDNG) Soldiers and Airmen worked with emergency services agencies to execute Vigilant Guard August 4-6, 2020. Vigilant Guard is a multi-agency exercise that took place across the state to refine each organizations understanding of operating procedures, evaluate their response capabilities, and improve inter-organization communication. This reflects the state’s response to real world events.

by Sgt. Michaela C.P. Granger, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

Summer 2019, Sgt. Grant Schafer, 816th Military Police Company, won the N.D. Best Warrior Competition (BWC) in the Soldier category, later earning the right to represent Region VI at the Army National Guard 2020 BWC at Camp Shelby Joint Force Training Center and Camp McCain Training Center in Miss. Note: Schafer began the competition before being promoted to sergeant, and therefore competed in the Soldier category.

By Mrs. Pamela Helbing-Schafer, Director North Dakota Veterans Cemetery

The N.D. Veteran's Cemetery was established by an act of the 1989 N.D. Legislative Assembly. The cemetery was opened in 1992, and is operated by the office of the adjutant general of North Dakota. It is located 6.5 miles south of Mandan on Highway 1806 on a 70 acre tract of land near Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. This cemetery is dedicated to the men and women who have served this state and nation with distinction and honor. Today interments of military members and their dependents number 9,522. Of these 69% are male and 31% are female. Solders lead interments with 3,942 (62%) followed by Sailors 1,315 (21%), Airmen 732 (12%), Marines 349 (5%), and members of the Coast Guard 24 (less than 1%). According to the director, Pam Helbling-Schafer, the cemetery has enough space available for the next 23 years.

By Mr. Robert E. Roehrich, NDNG Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Program Manager

Greetings to those who wear the uniform, past and present, and to those who serve and have served in a civilian capacity for our organization, all family members, and all the extended family and friends of the N.D. National Guard. So far, 2020 has been a roller coaster ride that will be branded into our memories as a defining period of time. Soon we will ask each other questions like where you were “when the Twin Towers fell on 911”, or “the assassination of President Kennedy?” from COVID-19, completely revolutionizing how we do business in the NDNG. From civil unrest and racial tensions within our country, we have been challenged to re-evaluate the way we operate our day-to-day business. We also took a deep look at our internal messaging and inclusion strategies. Though we’d like to think that we are flawless in many areas, it is simply impossible to be perfect all the time. However, we are always looking for opportunities to improve our organization for those we serve.

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota National Guard’s Bismarck-based 1^st Battalion, 112^th Aviation Regiment will partner with the McLean County Sheriff’s Office in a joint exercise Aug. 10-12.

Both agencies remind the public to be aware of the training activities, since there will be increased vehicle and helicopter traffic during these exercises. The public’s cooperation and understanding is appreciated.

BISMARCK, N.D. - The North Dakota National Guard's 957th Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge) will be conducting field training exercises this week in the Kimball Bottoms area near the Missouri River, south of Bismarck.

The N.D. National Guard reminds the public to be aware of the training activities and to use extreme caution when in the area, since there will be increased vehicle and boat traffic during unit training operations. The public's cooperation and understanding is appreciated.

For the safety of the public, the off-road vehicle area known as the Desert, will be closed to the public from 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6 through 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota National Guard will partner with several civilian agencies state-wide next week in a joint exercise called Vigilant Guard. The exercise will take place Aug. 3 - 6 in several areas across the state. The North Dakota National Guard regularly conducts emergency response exercise scenarios to help develop, validate, and refine plans and capabilities. This helps ensure its ability to support real-world disaster and emergency operations for our state and communities particularly in supporting response efforts such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

CAMP GRAFTON TRAINING CENTER, N.D. — Soldiers of the Fargo-based Battery C (Charlie), 1^st Battalion, 188^th Air   Defense Artillery Regiment were formally presented the 2019 Hamilton Award on July 27 at the N.D. National Guard’s Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake. This award is presented annually by the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery (ADA) branch to the ADA battery that has demonstrated exceptional achievement and mission accomplishment through the course of the year.