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Col. Leonard Poirier - Official Photo
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COLONEL LEONARD POIRIER

Col. Leonard J. Poirier is the Commander, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont Army National Guard. As commander, he serves as the senior officer responsible for the organization, training, and equipping of approximately 4,250 Soldiers in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Colorado. 

Poirier began his military career in October 1993 as an M1 Armor Crewman with Detachment 1, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 172nd Armor, Vermont Army National Guard.  In May, 1996 he was commissioned through the Norwich University ROTC Program. Poirier served the next nine years on active duty in a number of positions and organizations including with the 2nd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea; 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York; and the 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, HI and Combined Joint Task Force 76, Afghanistan. In July 2005, he left Active Duty and returned to the Vermont Army National Guard.

Poirier initially served again with 2nd Battalion, 172nd Armor and subsequently as an Instructor, Technical Branch Chief, and S3 for the 3rd Battalion (Information Operations), 124th Regiment (RTI). In December 2006 he became an AGR Officer in the Vermont Army National Guard in the 186th Brigade Support Battalion as a Plans and Operations Officer with full time responsibilities as the Brigade Property Book Officer. He then served as the Brigade S4 for the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain); the Battalion S3 for 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain); the Squadron S3 for 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry (Mountain); and the Deputy Brigade S3, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain). Poirier commanded 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry (Mountain) from May 2015 until July 2017 and was simultaneously assigned full time as the Deputy G3 and State Training Officer for the Vermont Army National Guard. He served as the Executive Officer and Administrative Officer for the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) from April 2018 through June 2019 including through the Brigade’s most recent XCTC and JRTC rotations. From July 2019 through January 2021, Poirier served as the G4 for the Vermont Army National Guard, and most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Kosovo Forces at the NATO KFOR Headquarters in Pristina, Kosovo from June 2021 through March 2022.

EDUCATION
1993, M1 Armor Crewman One Station Unit Training, Fort Knox, Kentucky
1996, Norwich University, Bachelor of Science, Environmental Engineering Technology, Northfield, Vermont
1996, Signal Officer’s Basic Course, Fort Gordon, Georgia
2000, Signal Captain’s Career Course, Fort Gordon, Georgia
2001, Combined Arms Services Staff School (CAS3), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2007, Ordnance Officer Branch Qualification Course (91A), United States Army Ordnance School (DL), Fort Eustis, Virginia
2007, Information Operations Officer Qualification Course (FA30), United States Army Information Operations Proponent, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2008, Summer Military Mountaineer Course, United States Army Mountain Warfare School, Jericho, Vermont
2009, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, Fort Knox, Kentucky
2009, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Intermediate Level Education (DL), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2011, Basic Military Mountaineer Course, United States Army Mountain Warfare School, Jericho, Vermont
2012, United States Army Command and General Staff College, Advanced Warfighting Operations Course (AOC), Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
2019, United States Army War College, Master of Strategic Studies, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania
Enrolled, Joint and Combined Warfighting School, National Defense University, Norfolk, Virginia

ASSIGNMENTS

  1. 1993, M1 Armor Crewman, Det 1, Company D, 2nd Battalion, 172nd Armor, Ludlow, VT
  2. 1997, Platoon Leader and subsequently Company Executive Officer, Company A, 122nd Signal Battalion, Camp Casey, South Korea
  3. 1998, S6, 1st Battalion (Attack), 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York
  4. 1999, S6, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, New York
  5. 2001, S6, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
  6. 2002, S6, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
  7. 2003, Battalion Maintenance Officer, 125th Signal Battalion, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
  8. 2004, Company Commander, Company C, 125th Signal Battalion, 25th Infantry Division / CJTF-76, Afghanistan and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
  9. 2005, S6, 2nd Battalion, 172nd Armor, Rutland, Vermont
  10. 2006, Operations Officer (special duty as Property Book Officer), HHC,186th Forward Support Battalion, Northfield, Vermont
  11. 2008, S4, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Jericho, Vermont and Bagram, Afghanistan
  12. 2011, S3, 3rd Battalion, 172 Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Jericho, Vermont
  13. 2013, S3, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), St. Albans, Vermont
  14. 2014, Deputy S3, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Jericho, Vermont
  15. 2015, Commander, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), St. Albans, Vermont
  16. 2017, Deputy G3, Vermont Army National Guard, Colchester, Vermont
  17. 2018, Brigade Executive Officer, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Jericho, Vermont
  18. 2019, G4, Vermont Army National Guard, Colchester, Vermont
  19. 2021, Deputy Chief of Staff, NATO Kosovo Force, Camp Film City, Pristina, Kosovo
  20. Present, Commander, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Jericho, Vermont

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