86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)

86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)

The 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) is composed of seven battalions made up of nearly 1,800 Vermonters and 4,250 total Soldiers. The brigade includes units in six states, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Colorado. The brigade's mission is to provide a crewed, trained, and ready mountain ICBT capable of deploying anywhere in the world, under any climactic conditions, to conduct decisive action when directed by appropriate command authority. On order, the 86th ICBT (MTN) provides a trained and ready force capable of responding in support of civil, federal, and domestic response as directed by the state adjutant general and governor.

U.S. Army Soldiers with Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont Army National Guard, perform a live-fire training lane, Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, Vermont, July 16, 2020. The live-fire range was conducted as part of their annual training.

May 10, 2022

Vermont Guard to support training exercise Swift Response 22

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — More than 120 Vermont Army National Guard Soldiers will participate in training exercise Swift Response 22 in North Macedonia from May 11 to 17. Exercise Swift Response is an annual U.S. Army Europe and Africa multinational training exercise that takes place this year in Eastern Europe, the Arctic High North, Baltics, and Balkans from May 2-24.

The Vermont National Guard has a new substance abuse prevention coordinator. In January 2022 John Brutzman was hired for the position. Brutzman is also an M-Day Solider with six years in service. Brutzman works at the Vt. Guard Behavioral Health Office at Camp Johnson. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joshua Cohen)

May 4, 2022

Meet Vt. Guard’s new substance abuse prevention coordinator

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — Eliminating the stigma around seeking mental health services is a goal for John Brutzman, the Vermont Guard’s new substance abuse prevention coordinator. “When I started this job, I would often hear that a solider could get trouble for seeking psychological health services, it’s just not the case, and I would like to see that stigma eradicated,” he said.

U.S. Army Sgt. Avah Eaton, a paralegal specialist, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont Army National Guard, takes part in an inner-perimeter security patrol Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, March 2021. While deployed, Eaton served as battalion paralegal and took on additional human resource specialist tasks to assist the unit. (courtesy photo)

April 12, 2022

Vermont Soldier describes career path as 'a good unexpected'

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — For U.S. Army Sgt. Avah Eaton joining the Vermont Army National Guard brought many unexpected results. Among them, included applying for and accepting an offer to serve full-time in a human resources capacity with 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain). Recently returning from a deployment to Southwest Asia, Eaton reenlisted when offered the Active Guard Reserve position.

U.S. Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 172 Infantry (Mountain) Headquarters Company and C Company, Vermont National Guard, conduct mountain training with Royal Saudi Land Forces Special Forces at the RSLF Mountain Warfare School in Saudi Arabia. Between October and November 2021, approximately 70 U.S. Army Soldiers attended the training. (Courtesy photo)

April 1, 2022

Vermont Guard Soldiers hone mountain skills with Saudi Arabian Special Forces

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — For the first time, a conventional U.S. Army National Guard unit conducted training with Royal Saudi Land Forces Special Forces Instructors at the Royal Saudi Land Forces Mountain Warfare School.

Soldiers from the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont Army National Guard, set up their bivouac site in the Arctic Circle, March 3, 2014 during Guerrier Nordique extreme cold weather training in Canada.

March 18, 2022

Vermont Guardsmen take part in combined extreme cold weather exercise in Canada

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — A small group of Vermont Army National Guard Soldiers made a cold and wintery trek into the Canadian wilderness starting at the end of February.

  • Leadership

    Col. Leonard Poirier

  • History
  • Units

    VERMONT

    1st Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment
    3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment
    572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion 
    186th Brigade Support Battalion 

    CONNECTICUT

    1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry Regiment

    MASSACHUSETTS

    1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment

    COLORADO

    1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment