For the U.S. Armed Forces, Memorial Day transcends picnics and pool days. It is a solemn day of remembrance for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation’s freedom. For the Kentucky National Guard, it is important to remember those who have sacrificed while preparing for duty stateside and overseas.

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joe Wilkins was honored with a renaming ceremony recognizing his remarkable 52 years of service, both in and out of uniform. On May 20, 2024, families and friends of Wilkins gathered at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Kentucky, as the Garrison Training Command headquarters building was officially named the "CW5 Joe N. Wilkins Building." “Dad loved being part of the Guard and supporting the Guard. That’s what he lived to do,” said Brent Wilkins, son of Joe Wilkins. “From the time he joined in 1960 until he retired in 2012, he lived the Guard. He supported the Guard.”

The Kentucky Army National Guard hosted the signing of a partnership agreement between Amteck and the U.S. Army Partnership for Success (PaYS) program at Amteck headquarters, May 20, 2024. Maj. Gen. Hal B. Lamberton, Kentucky's Adjutant General signed the memorandum of agreement and spoke on the connection between the PaYS program and the military. “Whether you’re in the Army National Guard, active duty, or a Soldier in the Army Reserves, and even when you end your time in service or retire, you are still a Soldier,” said Lamberton. “So, for the Army PaYS Program, it really kind of mirrors that dynamic, and it’s a dynamic of taking care of our folks while they are currently serving in uniform and beyond their service.”

For the U.S. Armed Forces, Memorial Day transcends picnics and pool days. It is a solemn day of remembrance for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation’s freedom. For the Kentucky National Guard, it is important to remember those who have sacrificed while preparing for duty stateside and overseas.

Retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 Joe Wilkins was honored with a renaming ceremony recognizing his remarkable 52 years of service, both in and out of uniform. On May 20, 2024, families and friends of Wilkins gathered at the Wendell H. Ford Regional Training Center in Greenville, Kentucky, as the Garrison Training Command headquarters building was officially named the "CW5 Joe N. Wilkins Building." “Dad loved being part of the Guard and supporting the Guard. That’s what he lived to do,” said Brent Wilkins, son of Joe Wilkins. “From the time he joined in 1960 until he retired in 2012, he lived the Guard. He supported the Guard.”

The Kentucky Army National Guard hosted the signing of a partnership agreement between Amteck and the U.S. Army Partnership for Success (PaYS) program at Amteck headquarters, May 20, 2024. Maj. Gen. Hal B. Lamberton, Kentucky's Adjutant General signed the memorandum of agreement and spoke on the connection between the PaYS program and the military. “Whether you’re in the Army National Guard, active duty, or a Soldier in the Army Reserves, and even when you end your time in service or retire, you are still a Soldier,” said Lamberton. “So, for the Army PaYS Program, it really kind of mirrors that dynamic, and it’s a dynamic of taking care of our folks while they are currently serving in uniform and beyond their service.”

The Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Communications Flight was re-designated a squadron during a ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, Feb. 11, following it’s official re-classification in October.

More than 20 Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard deployed to Alaska in April, 2024, to airlift 15 tons of home-building materials for housing in the Arctic Circle.

Four Soldiers from the Kentucky Army National Guard competed in the 53rd Winston P. Wilson (WPW) national rifle and pistol marksmanship championship in Camp Robinson, April 27-May 3. This event, hosted and sponsored by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center and the 233rd Regional Training Institute Sniper Instructors, exemplifies the high-level training designed to enhance and ensure the National Guard is a lethal and ready force that is capable of addressing our nation's challenges. There were 192 competitors that attended this year's event, making 48, four-man teams. They traveled from 44 states and territories and included U.S. allies from as far away as the Netherlands.

The Kentucky Army National Guard celebrated the graduation of Officer Candidate School (OCS) Class 66-24 at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort April 20. The ceremony honored the ten Soldiers who successfully completed the twelve-month training program, of which nine have now been commissioned as new officers in the Kentucky Army National Guard.

Starke had served in the military for over 25 years in various parts of the country on Active Duty with him coming to Kentucky in 2005 to join the National Guard.