45th Field Artillery Brigade, Oklahoma Army National Guard

Your Oklahoma National Guard Child and Youth Program will be hosting a Father & Daughter Dance on Saturday, March 13 from 6-9 p.m. at Belflower Chapel Event Center in Nicoma Park. The safety of your family is important to the Oklahoma National Guard and the OKNG Family Program Office. Therefore, we ask that you wear a mask at all times except when eating, having your picture made, or dancing with a member of your household, assuming you are six feet from others. The event is ...open to Army or Air National Guard dependents ages 0-18, who are currently registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, with their father, grandfather, or father-figure. For more information and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/father-daughter-dance-tickets- 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team | 137th Special Operations Wing | #90TC | 138th Fighter Wing | 45th Field Artillery Brigade, Oklahoma Army National Guard | Camp Gruber Training Center | Oklahoma Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention | Oklahoma National Guard Recruiting and Retention

The U.S. Army has announced major revisions to its regulations on uniform wear and appearance. Included in the revisions are changes to hair styles Soldiers can wear. Some of those changes came about because of the direct efforts of Capt. Whennah Andrews, of the D.C. National Guard.

Ok so today was seriously cold. I had the pleasure of being assigned to the National Guard SMART team in our area. They have been providing 24 hour assistance... to the OHP when needed. Today we assisted several stranded motorists, cars, trucks, semis, a skid steer, and a front end loader. The last call took us approximately 2 hours. And just so you know their heat is minimal in their large wrecker and not at all in the Humvees. These Soldiers have literally been on the ground in the snow to get these drivers underway. To say we were cold is an absolute understatement. We started the morning at -9 degrees. But they always had such a great attitude on every call. Their assistance has been immeasurable in allowing us to get to areas even Wreckers can’t make it to. Many thanks to all of our soldiers!! #OKGuard

Our SMART team in Noble County has been busy rescuing semis that slid off the Highway. This was along I-35 near Billings this morning. Please continue to stay home and use extreme caution if you have to get out! Oklahoma National Guard

At the request of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma National Guard is activating nearly 90 National Guard members and pre-positioning them at locations across Oklahoma in advance of a severe winter storm expected to impact the state early next week. The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety requested the Oklahoma National Guard provide Stranded Motorist Assistance Recovery Teams (SMART) from Feb. 13-18 to assist the Oklahoma Highway Patrol in recovering mo...torists who may become stranded in the potential storm. At the direction of the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management and with approval from Governor Kevin Stitt, the National Guard will be providing eight teams to assist the Highway Patrol. The National Guard teams will be working in the vicinity of Chickasha, Clinton, Perry, Woodward, Ardmore, Checotah, Stroud, and Vinita These teams include personnel and equipment that can traverse hazardous road conditions, provide recovery of stranded motorists and transport those motorists to safety and shelter. The teams’ priority is the recovery of people and movement to safety. They will not be recovering vehicles in most instances. The Oklahoma National Guard continues to serve the State of Oklahoma in the fight against COVID-19, as well as stand prepared to assist in emergencies as needed. http://ok.ng.mil//oklahoma-national-guard-partnering-with/

From the Chief of the National Guard Bureau To the Soldiers and Airmen of the National Guard: The story of the National Guard is the story of America. It is the story of the fight for independence, the fight against tyranny, the fight for democracy, and the fight for freedom. In each of these stories, you will find Black Americans, because Black history is American history.... It is the story of Salem Poor, who was born into slavery, purchased his freedom, joined the Massachusetts militia, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Bunker Hill. It is the story of William Harvey Carney, who was born into slavery in Virginia, joined the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and ferociously battled the Confederate Army at Fort Wagner, becoming the first African-American Medal of Honor recipient. It is the story of Henry Johnson, who joined the National Guard in 1917 and became part of New York's 369th Infantry Regiment-best known as the "Harlem Hellfighters." Sent to fight with the 16th Division of the French Army, Henry Johnson would prove himself a hero in the Argonne forest in hand-to-hand combat where he sustained 21 wounds himself and became the first American awarded France's Croix de Guerre with a golden palm. Since the beginning of our history, Black Americans fought for our Nation, even when they were denied rights, opportunities, and even basic humanity in the eyes of the law. They fought for the ideals President Abraham Lincoln named in the Gettysburg Address: "A new Nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." Today, in many ways, our Nation still struggles to give all its citizens equal opportunities. But our story is not finished, and we can work together to write a history we're proud to leave behind. This Black History Month, let us learn the stories of the Black Americans who shaped our Nation, and ultimately become the Nation for which they fought.