Soldiers from the Virginia Army National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team are now on the ground at Fort Polk for a major training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).

The unit recently unloaded vehicles and equipment from railcars at Fort Polk in preparation for the exercise, which brings the brigade into one of the Army’s most advanced and realistic combat training environments.

The 116th MBCT is the first Army National Guard brigade to participate in a JRTC rotation after transitioning from an infantry brigade combat team to a mobile brigade combat team in 2025.

The JRTC at Fort Polk is designed to prepare military units through large-scale, realistic training scenarios that include joint and combined arms operations, force-on-force engagements, and live-fire exercises intended to replicate complex battlefield conditions.

The rotation marks a significant milestone for the Virginia unit as it tests its new structure and capabilities in a demanding training environment.