COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS

MG TIMOTHY P. WILLIAMS JOINT FORCE HEADQUARTERS
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL 8000 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY
VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD BUILDING 430
RICHMOND, VA 23297

November 17, 2021

The Honorable Bob Good

1213 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative Good:

Thank you for your concern regarding our Soldiers conducting pre-mobilization training at Fort
Pickett. Before I address your note dated Nov. 16, 2021, I wanted to let you know how much I
appreciate your visit to our installation on Sept. 14. Your support is critical for the future of our
Army, our National Guard and specifically the Maneuver Training Center Fort Pickett.

Approximately 1,000 Army National Guard Soldiers have been training at Fort Pickett for the
last two weeks, and they will mobilize as Task Force Red Dragon under the command of our
Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to
provide a security force in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. Virginia Army
National Guard units from Bedford, Charlottesville, Lexington, Pulaski and Suffolk and a Kentucky
Army National Guard unit from Somerset, Kentucky are part of the task force.

The Soldiers will officially begin their federal active duty service with a departure ceremony Nov.
27 at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, and we hope you can join us to send them off along
with their families. An invitation has already been emailed to your office, and if you need any further
information, please contact my office.

One of the most tried and true axioms in the Army is “train as you fight.” Knowing our Soldiers
will deploy to an austere environment in the Horn of Africa, the Task Force Red Dragon leadership
developed a realistic and rigorous training plan to make sure our troops are prepared to fight, win
and return home safely in that challenging environment. They need to be prepared to conduct
operations immediately upon their arrival, and these past two weeks at Fort Pickett have been an
important part of their training plan.

The Task Force Red Dragon leadership, caring deeply for the well-being of our Soldiers, put
tremendous effort into planning logistical support for this training event. While they were eating and
sleeping in the field, they have access to heated tents, hot showers, portable latrines and
handwashing stations. Appropriate accommodations have been made to provide privacy for female
Soldiers at all facilities. The Soldiers ate MREs the first few days of training, but transitioned to hot
breakfast and dinner meals.

I personally visited with Soldiers of Task Force Red Dragon at Fort Pickett Nov. 17, and their
spirits were high. None of them voiced any concerns about their living conditions, and I know from
experience if they had complaints, they would have let me know about it. We know that leaving
their loved ones and civilian jobs is not easy for them, but they all seemed excited and highly
motivated about their upcoming mission. I have every confidence in the Task Force Red Dragon
leadership and know that Soldier care is a top priority for them.

The Virginia National Guard is proud to be part of the whole-of-government effort supporting
Operation Allies Welcome (OAW). The majority of the facilities we normally use for pre-deployment
activities are now dedicated to supporting OAW, to include providing billeting for more than 5,200
Afghans in barracks. OAW is concentrated in the garrison area of Fort Pickett, and Task Force Red
Dragon has been able to utilize the bulk of the 41,000 acres to train on the wide range of
necessary combat tasks. A key component of our successful operation is due to Task Force Pickett
(OAW operations) providing very effective restrictions that prevent our Afghan guests from entering
training areas and ranges.

We have not received any reports of Afghan’s taking photographs of training. The garrison staff
and Task Force Pickett remain vigilant leveraging geographical separation and the security
measures mentioned above to provide a safe and secure training environment for the Soldiers of
Task Force Red Dragon while protecting the population of Afghan guests.

Thank you again for your interest in the welfare of our Soldiers and the training facilities at Fort
Pickett. I hope we can provide you with regular updates and count on your support and assistance
with resetting the facility when the OAW mission is complete.

Sincerely,

TIMOTHY P. WILLIAMS
Major General, VaARNG
The Adjutant General