California National Guard

Honoring the California Crew: 34 Years to the Truth. 🦅
This Memorial Day, we remember the crew of a 1991 mission in Honduras that revealed the courage and professionalism of California National Guard aviators under impossible conditions. For over three decades, the story of these four Soldiers was unfinished — until today.
Thanks to the dedicated research of historian Greg Walker, original 1992 award nominations were recently located in a personnel file. Their discovery led to the U.S. Army formally recognizing the crew’s true courage, replacing original findings with the honors they earned that moonless night.
Earlier this month in Sacramento, we stood with their families and the mission’s sole survivor, SFC (Ret.) Buddy Jarrell, as they received the long-overdue recognition:
🏅 The Distinguished Flying Cross with Valor
🏅 The California Legion of Merit
🏅 The Honorable Order of Saint Michael (Bronze)
The three crew members lost that night — all female Soldiers from the Sacramento-based 126th Medical Company — are no longer just a footnote in history; they are a legacy of heroism immortalized.

The Crew: 🕊️ CPT Sashai Dawn (1956–1991) 🕊️ 1LT Vicki Boyd (1961–1991) 🕊️ SSG Linda Simonds (1957–1991) ⭐ SFC (Ret.) Buddy Jarrell (Survivor)
Grizzly AAAA Army Aviation Association of America U.S. Army Human Resources Command The National Guard Special Forces Association Chapter 78

Happening now! Training with ensures seamless integration when it counts most.

1,540 days since Russia’s full-scale invasion — and thirty-three years into the State Partnership Program — California and Ukraine are moving the mission forward.
National Guard of Ukraine Commander Oleksandr Pivnenko hit the ground running during a visit to the Golden State this month, touring Cal Guard and Army installations like Camp San Luis Obispo and Camp Roberts.
While the visit included live-fire and marksmanship drills, the focus went beyond the range.
After meeting with Maj. Gen. Matthew Beevers, the leaders laid the groundwork to host future exchanges that pair the frontline combat experience of Ukrainian service members with the leadership development and training infrastructure anchored at California’s installations. .nationalguard

Happy Mother’s Day from the Army National Guard!

This week, Ukrainian military leaders visited California as part of the State Partnership Program — a DoW initiative that pairs National Guard states with partner nations, including California and Ukraine since 1993.

Thousands of engagements later, that relationship stands strong.

During the visit, Cal Guard’s senior behavioral health officer met with a Ukrainian counterpart to discuss joint programs developed to strengthen behavioral health support for Ukrainian service members.

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Proud of our CalGuard Counter Drug Task Force members who supported Operation “All-Hands-On-Deck” in San Francisco’s Tenderloin—providing critical intelligence, surveillance, and coordination that helped drive action on the ground.
This effort, led by the Northern CA -High -Intensity-Drug-Trafficking-Areas (HIDTA) SF Metro Initiative, has earned the National HIDTA Award for Community Impact Investigation.
But the true success is in the community—safer streets, and residents reclaiming their neighborhood. .nationalguard