News

FARGO, N.D. — The North Dakota National Guard will conduct two separate events celebrating facilities on Tuesday, August 24 in Fargo.

The Happy Hooligans of the 119th Wing will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its $17.5 million military construction project at the North Dakota Air National Guard Base. The groundbreaking is set for 10 a.m. Construction on this building, a consolidated operations facility for use by the 119th Operations Group, is scheduled to begin in the fall.

Later that day, the North Dakota Army National Guard will host a building dedication of the Fargo Readiness Center with a ribbon cutting at 1:30 p.m.  After the ceremony, the media is invited to tour the new ceremony. The building is located at Fraine Barracks complex in Bismarck and will serve as headquarters and operating offices for the 141^st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, some of its subordinate units as well as their vehicles and equipment.

By Staff Sgt. Brandi Schmidt, 116th Public Affairs Detachment

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. — Twenty-two North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers from across the state pushed through physical and mental challenges during this year’s Best Warrior Competition (BWC) Aug. 12-15, 2021 at Camp Grafton Training Center, near Devils Lake. Over four days, the N.D. Guard Soldiers challenged themselves to prove that they were the best warrior in the state.

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. — Fifty-four Soldiers of the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 835th Engineer Utilities Detachment (EUD) were honored today at a sendoff ceremony at the Lake Region State College campus in Devils Lake in preparation of a year-long U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) mission. Nearly 400 Family, friends and fellow Guard members attended the ceremony.

Addressing the departing Soldiers were the commander-in-chief of the North Dakota National Guard Gov. Doug Burgum, U.S. Senator John Hoeven, Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general, and Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Binstock, N.D. National Guard senior enlisted leader. The unit was alerted February 2021 and is commanded by Capt. Justin Johnson and the senior enlisted Soldier is Sgt. 1st Class Charles Holzer.

CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA. — Lieutenant Colonel Steve Selzler, a Bismarck, North Dakota resident, graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, Pa. with a master's degree in Strategic Studies, July 23, 2021.

The U.S. Army War College’s two-year education curriculum develops senior military officers to serve in strategic level command and staff positions worldwide. Lieutenant General Laura Potter, Deputy Chief of Staff for intelligence of the U.S. Army, presided and spoke to the class of 382 senior officers, international officers, and civilians serving at the Senior Executive Service level or above.

DEVILS LAKE, N.D. — The North Dakota National Guard cyber experts participated in Cyber Shield 2021, the Department of Defense’s largest unclassified cyber defense exercise, from July 10 to 23. 

"Cyber incidents are an ongoing and substantial threat in 2021; America's power plants, food supply, water supply, health care, law enforcement and defense sectors have all come under attack," said Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, during a media roundtable June 29. "These cyber threats extend our adversaries' reach across borders and time zones, and could have devastating consequences.”

United States Army War College Hometown News Release

By Elena Patton

CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA. — Colonel Todd W. Schaffer, a Carrington, North Dakota native, completed the two-year distance education program, receiving a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, Pa. with a master's degree in Strategic Studies on July 23, 2021.

BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota National Guard’s Bismarck-based 957th Engineer Company (Multi-Role Bridge) was alerted for duty at the southwest border of the United States.

The unit will mobilize with about 125 Soldiers and is expected to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

BISMARCK, N.D. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded 22 record crests state-wide in 2011, which in turn saw more than 3,000 North Dakota National Guard members serving on flood response duty. Citizen-Soldiers and -Airmen worked alongside members of local communities and with state and federal agencies like the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services, North Dakota Department of Transportation, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in fighting rising waters.

The North Dakota National Guard’s 2011 flood response consisted of 67,264 personnel workdays, which surpassed the 54,341 recorded during the 2009 flood response. This record was broken November 2020 when the Guard’s COVID-19 pandemic response surpassed that number, and is currently at 116,427 personnel days worked.

Grand Forks, N.D.  About 225 Soldiers of the North Dakota Army National Guard’s 1^st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery (1-188^th ADA) Regiment were honored today at a sendoff ceremony at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks in preparation of a long-year mobilization to the National Capital Region. 

Addressing the departing Soldiers were the commander-in-chief of the North Dakota National Guard Gov. Doug Burgum, U.S. Senator John Hoeven, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general and Command Sgt. Maj. Eric Binstock, North Dakota National Guard senior enlisted leader.  The unit is commanded by Lt. Col. Walyn Vannurden and the senior enlisted Soldier is Command Sgt. Maj. Russell Garrett.

MANDAN, N.D.  The North Dakota Veterans Cemetery conducted its 10,000^th interment today. Interments consist of both burials and cremation. The cemetery is a state-run, state-funded facility, that is administered by the office of the North Dakota National Guard adjutant general and accepts burial plot allowance for each Veteran interment from the Veterans Benefits Administration.  It’s also assisted by charitable contributions and occasional grants administered by the VA National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Cemetery Grants Program.