Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct sling load training Dec. 7, 2024, at Blackstone Army Airfield in Blackstone, Virginia. Soldiers who are graduates of the Army’s Air Assault and Pathfinder schools passed along their knowledge and skills to help build the operational knowledge within the unit. VNG aviators assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 29th Infantry Division provided aviation support for the training. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Marc Heaton)