U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lauren Lwanga, left, public health officer, 123rd Medical Group, 123rd Airlift Wing, Kentucky National Guard, and Capt. Leigha Bower-Jones, a nurse practitioner from the same unit, have been named top performers in the 2025 Air National Guard Medical Service Awards. Lwanga was selected as ANG biomedical specialist officer of the year, and Bower-Jones was named ANG privileged advanced practice nurse of the year. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Angelee Barnett)

Portuguese Armed Forces collaborated with Illinois Air and Army National Guard members during the annual Cyber Shield training event held at the Professional Education Center in Little Rock, Ark., July 21st, 2026. Cyber Shield 2026 is the largest annual Department of War cyber training event, bringing together over 1,000 participants from 44 states and territories and 23 countries to collaborate and strengthen cyber capabilities on a global scale. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Alexandria King)

U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Todd Shak, Headquarters Hawaii Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Flight senior enlisted leader, salutes Lt. Col. Michael Buendia, Headquarters Hawaii Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Flight commander, during the activation ceremony of Headquarters Hawaii Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Flight held at Pearl Highlands Center in Pearl City, Hawaii, Aug. 1, 2026. Buendia and Shak became the organization’s inaugural command team after being activated. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Orlando Corpuz)

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Buendia, left, Headquarters Hawaii Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Flight commander and Senior Master Sgt. Todd Shak, Headquarters Hawaii Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Flight senior enlisted leader, stand at attention during the unit’s activation ceremony held at Pearl Highlands Center in Pearl City, Hawaii, Aug. 1, 2026. Buendia and Shak became the organization’s inaugural command team after being activated. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Orlando Corpuz)

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Ty Bishop, a 123rd Intelligence Squadron Signals Intelligence analyst serving in the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, 188th Wing, Arkansas National Guard, graduated with a perfect score on the Apprentice Electronic Signals Intelligence Analyst Course at Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas, on July 10, 2026. (Courtesy photo)

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Katie Chiarantona, commander, 192nd Maintenance Squadron, 192nd Wing, Virginia National Guard and Chief Master Sgt. Harrison Southworth, the squadron’s senior enlisted leader, observe an aircraft recovery operation during the Advanced Crash Damaged and Disabled Aircraft Recovery Course at Volk Field Combat Readiness Training Center in Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, July 14, 2026. More than 85 military and civilian defense partners took part in the Joint Program Office course, which provided attendees practical, hands-on training recovering a wide variety of airframes using advanced equipment and techniques designed to do so safely and efficiently. (U.S. National Guard photo by Paul Gorman)