Thunder Soldiers train on howitzer air assault

Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Norfolk-based 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct training on an air-delivered field artillery raid June 11, 2025, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. Aviation crews assigned to the Georgia National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment flew CH-47 Chinook helicopters to transport the M777A2 howitzer and crews. The 116th is the first Army National Guard brigade to test a prototype task organization for a mobile brigade combat team, and it will be evaluated during a 21-day eXportable Combat Training Capability rotation. The MBCT concept is part of the U.S. Army’s transformation initiative with the goal of making units more agile and lethal. Read more at vngpao.info/4a5nr2vp.