Connecticut National Guard

Connecticut Guard member assists driver during overdose
February 23, 2023 — On the afternoon of June 4, 2022, Air Force Staff Sgt. Carlos Hernandez-Garcia happened to be in the right place at the right time... MORE

Hiking to Heal: A CT Guardsman's journey in overcoming Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
December 15, 2022 — HARTFORD, Conn. — For many, closing a chapter in their life entails a party, a celebration, maybe a cake or a night out with friends for drinks. Some favor something more private, maybe a solo trip across Europe or a period of staying home to decompress and to prepare for what’s next. For U.S. Army Maj. (ret.) Rick Marshall, conquering the Pacific Crest Trail, a 5 month, 2,650-mile-long trek across multiple states from the Mexican border in Southern California to the border of Canada would be his way of turning the page on his military career and beginning his transition to becoming a civilian... MORE

Breaking the stigma of seeking help
September 29, 2022 — If you’ve seen any Connecticut Guardsmen throughout the month of September, you probably noticed something different about their uniform. Most Guardsmen have been wearing a blue, purple, and white patch on their left sleeve to help raise awareness about servicemember and veteran suicide... MORE

Soldier gains citizenship and finds purpose helping others in the Army National Guard.
September 19, 2022 — For many, joining the Army is a dream, a goal, something to strive for. For Connecticut Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Mario Soriano, enabling others to do this, is his... MORE

All Roads Lead to Cyber - How one Connecticut Guardsman found his path in cybersecurity.
June 16, 2022 — Inside a brightly lit classroom, keyboards go cyclic. The clicks of the mouse reverberate across the room like the distant echoes of artillery. These are the sounds of the digital battlefield. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. John Young, a soldier assigned to Joint Forces Headquarters, Connecticut Army National Guard, is just one of many men and women, all cyber warriors, in the trenches posed for the impending attack... MORE

143rd RSG Commander Bridges Past With 43rd INF DIV Veteran
May 19, 2022 — HARTFORD, Conn — U.S. Army Col. David Pickel, 143rd Regional Support Group, Connecticut Army National Guard, gifted his shoulder sleeve insignia to Korean War veteran U.S. Army Pfc. Richard Kurtz, 13th Ranger Company, 43rd Infantry Division (Retired) during a brief ceremony at the West Suffield, Connecticut VFW on Thursday, May 19, 2022... MORE

Connecticut's Fighting Irish - The Story of the Ninth Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry
March 10, 2022 — HARTFORD, Conn — A blue banner defiantly flies high and proudly, weathering the unwelcoming wind coming from deep within the Gulf of Mexico as it is carried along the coast of Ship Island, Mississippi. Resting below a mighty bald eagle is a golden harp adorned with an emerald green field, followed by the words, “Erin go bragh”. Connecticut’s fighting Irish have arrived... MORE

Timothy Ahearn: The Command Corporal
October 27, 2021 — One of the things that makes the United States military so successful is its command structure and its clear line of succession, should a warrior fall in battle. The commander has his executive officer, the sergeant major has his first sergeant, and the platoon leader has his platoon sergeant. Unfortunately, war seldom cares of for such formalities. ... MORE

Connecticut Guardsman turns personal tragedy into 10 years of advocacy
April 26, 2021 — EAST GRANBY, Conn. -- On July 21, 2011, Master Sgt. Jessica Roy gave birth to her first child, Austin. He was born prematurely at 26 weeks and weighed 1 pound, 11 ounces... MORE

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jessica Roy (center), 103rd Security Forces Squadron S2 intelligence and investigations superintendent and antiterrorism program manager, Marc Spencer (right), and their families deliver gift bags to nurses at the Saint Francis Hospital neonatal intensive care unit in Hartford, Connecticut, on World Prematurity Day, November 17, 2019. Roy and Spencer both had infant sons pass away after being born prematurely and have dedicated the following years to advocacy work with the March of Dimes organization. (Courtesy photo)

Connecticut Guardsman assists injured motorist
February 21, 2021 — On the morning of January 29, 2021, Leigh Deppe, a Shelton native, was traveling northbound on the Merritt Parkway near Orange, Conn. The state was in the middle of a cold front with temperatures dipping as low as 25 degrees on that particular day. As she rounded a curve in the road, her car hit a patch of black ice and she lost control of her car... MORE