State of the Guard – February 19th, 2026

Join us for the annual State of the Guard briefing to our community, hosted by Major General James A. Benson, Delaware’s Adjutant General. This year’s stage is the Major Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center in New Castle, home to the leadership and key directorates of the Guard, serving as its Joint Force Headquarters. From deployments to training to state duty response, your Hometown Heroes have been very busy this past year.

This year’s State of the Guard briefing will feature the 31st Civil Support Team (CST). The 31st CST is a full-time, 22-person, all-hazards response team comprised of Delaware Army and Air Guard personnel. The mission is to augment civilian first responders by assessing unknown hazards, advising the Incident Commander on measures to presumptively identify unknown agents, and assisting with mitigation techniques and recommendations for follow-on forces. The CST is a 24/7 response agency that provides integrated hazardous materials detection at the state and federal levels, as part of the national response management plan. Following the program, attendees may tour the capability demonstrations and equipment of the 31st CST that will be on display, to learn more.

Due to security reasons, the deadline to register for this FREE event is Thursday, February 12.