Tagged: Louisiana National Guard

A federal jury has convicted a 61-year-old man accused of shooting at a Louisiana Army National Guard helicopter pilot who was providing aerial surveillance as part of a marijuana eradication detail in Winn Parish.

U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley says James L. Kelly, of Sikes, was found guilty Wednesday of endangering the safety of a pilot, committing an act of violence against a pilot and using a deadly and dangerous weapon to forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate and interfere with a pilot.

State police say a Louisiana National Guardsman from Shreveport was killed in a traffic accident in Natchitoches Parish.

The accident happened Tuesday afternoon on Interstate 49 five miles north of state Highway 6.

Troopers say Sgt. Kevin Dean Weiner was driving a Humvee northbound when it was struck from behind by an 18-wheeler. The 30-year-old Weiner was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, Sgt. John C. Fike of Bossier City, suffered moderate injuries in the accident.

Brig. Gen. Barry D. Keeling has been promoted to the Louisiana National Guard's director of the joint staff.

Keeling was promoted to the position during a ceremony Thursday at Camp Beauregard.

Maj. Gen. Glenn H Curtis, the Louisiana guard's adjutant general, praised Keeling for his dedication to duty. Curtis says Keeling was relentless during the Guard's response to Hurricane Isaac.

The top officer in the Louisiana National Guard is now a major general, also called a two-star general.

Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis was "pinned" with his new rank in a ceremony Friday at the Governor's Mansion. Gov. Bobby Jindal and Curtis' wife, Jill Curtis, pinned the new insignia on Curtis' uniform.

Curtis officially became the Louisiana National Guard's 49th adjutant general in December, taking charge of all state National Guard operations and training. In Louisiana, the head of the National Guard is appointed by the governor.