Brigadier General Gagnon’s military service began in 1992 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army as a Combat Engineer. Following active-duty service, he joined the Vermont Army National Guard where, in 1997, he received his commission as an Armor Officer through Vermont’s Officer Candidate School.
He served most of his career, from 1997 through 2013, in the 86th Brigade where his assignments included: Armor Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Support and Distribution Company Commander, Forward Support Battalion S2‐3, Brigade Support Battalion Executive Officer, and Brigade Support Battalion Commander. Following Battalion Command, from 2013-2017, he served on Vermont’s Joint Forces Headquarters staff as the Defense Movement Coordinator and Deputy G5. From 2018‐2021, he served as the Commander of the Garrison Support Command where he commanded JTF Chameleon in support of the State of Vermont’s COVID‐19 Pandemic Response. Upon completion of brigade command, from 2021 through 2025, he returned to the Joint Forces Headquarters as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (G3) and as the Vermont Army National Guard’s Chief of Staff.
He was a member of the Vermont Army National Guard’s two largest deployments; in 2004‐2005, he served as the Commander of Company B, Task Force Green Mountain in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, and, in 2009‐2010, as the Executive Officer of Task Force Long Trail in Kabul, Afghanistan. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 OLC, the Army Commendation Medal with 2 OLC, the Army Achievement Medal, and the OIF and OEF Campaign Medals.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and History from the University of Vermont, a Master of Education degree in Higher Education Finance and Administration from Norwich University, and a Masters in Strategic Studies degree from the U.S. Army War College. In his civilian career, he is the Assistant Dean for Facilities Administration and Planning for the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. He resides in Shelburne, Vermont with his wife of 25-years, Jennifer; their two daughters, Abigail and Madeline, and Airedale Terrier, Berkley.