29th Infantry Division

Known as the Blue and Gray Division, the 29th Infantry Division is an Army National Guard operational-level headquarters located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Its origins date back to World War I and is most known for its participation in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach in World War II. The 29th ID wartime mission is to provide mission command to subordinate brigades and forces tailored for an assigned mission. It is one of eight divisions in the Army National Guard.

The Virginia Army National Guard's 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment and the 29th Infantry Division Band are aligned under the 29th.

The 29th Infantry Division exercises training and readiness oversight over the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Florida and Alabama, the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Kentucky and Virginia, the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team from North Carolina and West Virginia, the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade from Maryland and Virginia, the 226th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade from Alabama, the 113th Sustainment Brigade from North Carolina and the 142nd Fires Brigade from Arkansas.

The Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division Headquarters returned to the United States in March 2022 after a 9-month deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility as the headquarters of Task Force Spartan, which exercises command and control of Operation Spartan Shield. Task Force Spartan is a unique, multi-component, total Army organization, made up of active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve support units and is led by a National Guard division headquarters on a rotational basis. 

In its role as Task Force Spartan, the 29th ID commanded two brigades and four battalion-level task forces. Units supporting Operation Spartan Shield provide capabilities such as aviation, logistics, force protection and information management. They also facilitated theater security cooperation activities such as key leader engagements, joint exercises, conferences, symposia, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response planning. Read more about the 29th’s mobilization at https://go.usa.gov/xzw3F. 

Visit the 29th Infantry Division on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/29thID/


2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
 
The Virginia National Guard's Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, mobilized as Task Force Pegasus, officially ended its mission in Kosovo during a transfer of authority ceremony Oct. 11, 2022, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo.

During Task Force Pegasus’ rotation, over 1,700 flight hours and 275 aerial missions were completed, five multinational multi-ship flights, and 14 MedEvac missions, two of which required the use of a hoist and countless hours of training. Read more about Task Force Pegasus at https://ngpa.us/22186. 

More 2-224th news: https://ngpa.us/23176 

29th Division Band

The 29th ID Band received the Superior Unit Award for training excellence during Training Year 2019. 

More 29th Division Band news: https://ngpa.us/23177

29th ID News

Virginia National Guard Soldiers conduct maintenance on a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter April 2, 2024, at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston, Virginia. The Soldiers are part of the AASF’s avionics shop, which troubleshoots, diagnoses and repairs avionic components and wiring on the VNG’s Black Hawk fleet. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Terra C. Gatti)
VNG full-time avionics team tackles high-flying challenges
April 15, 2024
Tucked behind a blue door at the Virginia Army National Guard’s Army Aviation Support Facility is the organization’s avionics section. There, a small group of full-time Soldiers work to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair avionic components and wiring on a fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Sgt. Stella Escano takes a written exam alongside her fellow competitors at the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s Best Warrior Competition held Jan. 5-7, 2024, at Fort Barfoot, Virginia. (Courtesy photo)
From ambulances to artillery: one NCO’s pursuit of military & medical dreams
April 15, 2024
As a young adult, Sgt. Stella Escano knew she wanted to attend medical school. She also knew she wanted to eventually serve in the military, but wanted to get her education locked in first. Growing up in and around Norfolk, Virginia, an area with a dense military presence, Escano was quite familiar with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, but neither of those options felt like the right choice for her. So, she went online and did some research.
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Charlottesville-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct cold load training with aviation crews assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division April 5, 2024, at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Virginia. The Soldiers’ family members attended the training to observe the rigorous routines Soldiers undergo while away from home, and were able to observe promotion and reenlistment ceremonies. Read more about the 3-116th at ngpa.us/28748. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Rhita Daniel)
St. Lo Soldiers conduct air assault during drill weekend
April 12, 2024
Virginia National Guard Soldiers with the Charlottesville-based Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conducted aviation training with crews with the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division April 5, 2024, at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport in Weyers Cave, Virginia. The Soldiers' family members were invited to attend the training to demonstrate the rigorous routines they undergo when they are away from their families and training.
Maj. Josh Favaro, executive officer of the Virginia National Guard’s Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineering Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team receives the Expert Soldier Badge from Sgt. Maj. Justin Walkup, the 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team operations sergeant major, March 15, 2024 at Fort Walker, Virginia. The Expert Soldier Badge is a special skills badge awarded to Soldiers who have completed testing and do not serve in the Infantry, Special Forces or Medical Branches. Testing for the ESB consists of 30 tasks- Weapon Lane Tasks, Medical Lane Tasks, Patrol Lane Tasks, and five unit-level missions essential tasks chosen by the commander, as well as a 12-mile road march, a land navigation test and the Expert Physical Fitness Assessment.
229th BEB Soldier earns Expert Soldier Badge
April 9, 2024
Maj. Josh Favaro, executive officer of the Virginia National Guard’s Fredericksburg-based 229th Brigade Engineering Battalion, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team earned the Expert Soldier Badge March 15, 2024, at Fort Walker, Virginia. In doing so, Favaro became the first Soldier to earn the ESB while assigned to the Virginia National Guard.
Staff Sgt. Felicia Taylor
VNG NCO reflects on being a female in the field artillery
March 25, 2024
Part of Staff Sgt. Felicia Taylor’s motivation for joining the Virginia Army National Guard was to prove what she was capable of. Her father didn’t think she could make it through Basic Combat Training, or BCT, and she felt certain he was wrong. Then she looked into the benefits of military service and realized she could serve part-time in the National Guard while still working toward her college and career goals.

The Shield Newsletter

29th ID Organization

Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division
https://www.facebook.com/29thID/
https://twitter.com/29thID

Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters Battalion, 29th Infantry Division
https://www.facebook.com/HHBN29ID

  • Fort Belvoir-based Headquarters and Support Company
  • Fort Belvoir-based Operations Company
  • Cheltenham, Md.- based Signal Company (Maryland National Guard)
  • Laurel, Md.- Intelligence and Sustainment Company (Maryland National Guard)
  • Troutville-based 29th Division Band

Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
 https://www.facebook.com/2ndBattalion224thAviation/

  • Sandston-based Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment
  • Chesterfield-based Detachment 2, Company C, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment
  • Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 151st Aviation Regiment
  • Sandston-based Detachment 2, Bravo Company, 248th Aviation Support Battalion
  • Chesterfield-based Detachment 1, Company C, 2-245th Aviation Regiment 
Staunton-based 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team