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VDF conducts emergency response exercise at Fort Pickett

Cotton Puryear

FORT PICKETT, Va. — Virginia Defense Force service members conduct a disaster response field training exercise Oct. 17, 2026, at Fort Pickett, Virginia. The exercise simulated establishing an operations center, point of distribution, emergency communications and security of the POD site. Brig. Gen. (Va.) Rich Diddams, commander of the VDF, visited the training to thank VDF personnel for volunteering their time to conduct training and stressed the importance of maintaining readiness for potential support to Virginia National Guard state active duty response operations. 

View more photos on the VNG Flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/photos/vaguardpao/albums/72177720336284748/