Wyoming National Guard

FEMA has authorized funds to help with firefighting costs on the estimated 27,000-acre blaze.

A couple of summers ago, the nonprofit StoryCorps hosted an oral history project here in Wyoming in which veterans and their families recorded honest and personal stories about their military experiences. This month, we’re highlighting Colonel Holly Shenefelt and her colleague Jacque Morey as they discuss how gender roles during basic training have changed and why Shenefelt joined the military.

Staffing issues were a major reason the WCCA was abruptly shuttered in mid-September 2022, leaving 60 cadets and their families searching where to go next. The alternative education program offered through the Wyoming National Guard was housed at Camp Guernsey since its inception in 2006. But even with interest in launching a new program, several major issues must be overcome.

Wyoming National Guard Adj. Gen. Greg Porter testified in front of the legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs on Nov. 2. The number of sexual assault reports is on the rise from previous years but improvements have been made elsewhere. The decision to close the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy housed at Camp Guernsey in September mid-session has drawn criticism from some lawmakers in how it was handled.

The Wyoming National Guard sponsored program closed in mid-September during the middle of the five and a half-month session, leaving approximately 60 cadets searching for other educational options. Some cadets have since transferred or are planning to attend programs in other states while others have returned to their high schools. Despite the closure, there's a chance it may reopen in the future at a location other than its previous longtime Camp Guernsey home.

Governor Mark Gordon has signed two bills from this year's legislative session that are aimed to increase oversight and transparency of the Wyoming Military Department, which oversees the National Guard. This came after Wyoming Public Media and Wyofile reported on complaints about the department mishandling reports of harassment and assault.

The Wyoming Military Department is slated to make a final decision on a location site soon. But relocating the facility has caused some concern among local residents as to what this might mean for their neighborhood.

A couple of bills relating to the Wyoming National Guard's sexual assault reporting process have been approved by the members of the Joint Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs Committee.

For the past two years, South Dakota and Wyoming's National Guards have piloted a new sexual assault response training program. The Buddy Aid training program was developed by a Major of the South Dakota Army National Guard after she witnessed sexual violence in Afghanistan in 2013. Wyoming National Guard Master Sgt. Rebecca Motley brought the pilot program to the state's Army Guard in 2019. Motley told Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska that her own experience made her realize the importance of this type of training.

For the past two years, South Dakota and Wyoming's National Guards have piloted a new sexual assault response training program.