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U.S. Army Soldiers of Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), Vermont Army National Guard, participate in a stress shooting exercises at the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vt., Aug. 13, 2022.

Aug. 15, 2022

Vermont Guardsmen Demonstrate Readiness Under Stress

JERICHO, Vermont — Vermont National Guard Soldiers navigated obstacles, completed fitness tasks and engaged targets during a live-fire exercise conducted by Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) on Aug. 13.

Left to right, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, Vermont’s adjutant general; U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau; Klaudia Tanner, federal minister of defense of the Republic of Austria; U.S. Ambassador to Austria Victoria Kennedy; Lt. Gen. Erich Csitkovits, training director and commandant, National Defence Academy, sign letters of intent between the Vermont National Guard and Republic of Austria July 19, 2022, Vienna, Austria. The Vermont National Guard also has partnerships with North Macedonia, since 1993, and Senegal, since 2008.

July 19, 2022

Vermont National Guard Signs Letter of Intent with Republic of Austria

VIENNA — With a stroke of the pen, the Vermont National Guard and Republic of Austria’s letter of intent formalizing their partnership under the State Partnership Program is official. On July 19, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, Vermont’s adjutant general; U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau; Klaudia Tanner, federal minister of defense of the Republic of Austria; and Lt. Gen. Erich Csitkovits, training director and commandant, National Defence Academy, performed a signing ceremony in Vienna to formalize the relationship between the Republic of Austria and Vermont.

A group photo of the 15th Civil Support Team, Vermont National Guard, and a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear battalion from the North Macedonia Army during a State Partnership Program engagement in Colchester, Vt., June 6-11, 2022. The engagement focused on working with civil authorities in the event of a disaster.

June 29, 2022

15th Civil Support Team Hosts State Partnership Program Engagement

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — The Vermont National Guard’s 15th Civil Support Team hosted six Soldiers from North Macedonia for civil support training at Camp Johnson in Colchester, June 6 -11th. The North Macedonia Army soldiers were from a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Battalion and came to Vermont to conduct exercises with the Vermont National Guard’s 15th CST.

Chuck Brewer has been with the VT Guard for almost three years serving as Director of Psychological Health within the Guard’s Behavioral Services Office at Camp Johnson in Colchester, Vermont. According to Brewer, his responsibilities include ensuring Guardsmen are ready to deploy from a behavioral health perspective. (Vermont Army National Guard photo by Joshua T. Cohen)

June 29, 2022

Meet Your Guard: Chuck Brewer, director of psychological health

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — Chuck Brewer has been with the Vermont National Guard for almost three years serving as Director of Psychological Health within the Guard’s Behavioral Services Office at Camp Johnson in Colchester.

Vermont Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight addresses guests on May 26, 2022 during a a Memorial Day ceremony at Camp Johnson in Colchester, Vermont. Maj. Gen. Knight was joined by Vermont’s Lt. Governor Molly Grey, Vermont Gold Star families, and veterans. The occasion marked the second time the ceremony was conducted at the Fallen Hero’s Memorial’s new site, a location accessible to the public. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Nathan Rivard)

June 1, 2022

Vermont National Guard holds Memorial Day ceremony

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — On May 26, 2022, the VTNG held a Memorial Day ceremony at Camp Johnson in Colchester, Vermont. The occasion marked the second time the ceremony was conducted at the Fallen Hero’s Memorial’s new site, a location accessible to the public. In attendance, Vermont’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight was joined by Vermont’s Lt. Governor Molly Gray, Vermont Gold Star families, and veterans.

Brig. Gen. David Manfredi, director of joint staff for the Vermont National Guard, speaks during his retirement ceremony May 26, 2022, at Camp Johnson, Vermont. General Manfredi retired May 26 after more than 30 years of service, including assignments as commander of the 124th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) and commander of the 3-172nd Infantry (Mountain). He deployed to Afghanistan twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by 1st Lt. Nathan Rivard)

May 27, 2022

Vt. director of joint staff retires

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — The Vermont National Guard director of joint staff retired May 26, 2022, in a ceremony held at the Green Mountain Armory. Brig. Gen. David Manfredi served for 34 years both on active duty, with the 10th Mountain Division, and in the Army National Guard in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and for the past 17 years in the VTNG.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Phil Vietje, an aviation instructor with C Company, 3-126th Aviation (Air Ambulance), Vermont Army National Guard, shows Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner around a UH-72 Lakota helicopter at the VTARNG Army Aviation Support Facility in South Burlington, Vermont, on May 12, 2022. The Vermont National Guard and Austrian Defence Ministry signed a State Partnership Program agreement May 11, 2022, to strengthen interagency cooperation and mutually improve in cyber defense, information operations, military mountaineering, humanitarian and disaster assistance response, and other areas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Don Branum)

May 20, 2022

Vermont Guard demonstrates rotary-wing capabilities for Austrian delegation

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — On May 12, a day after representatives from the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria formally entered into a State Partner Program, Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner and staff were provided with rotary-wing flight demonstrations at Camp Johnson, the Vermont National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Colchester, Vermont.

Four U.S. Army Soldiers serving in the Vermont Army National Guard Biathlon Program received medals and recognition on May 14 at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site, Jericho, Vt., for their participation in the 2022 U.S. Biathlon Olympic Team. Pictured from left to right, Spc. Vasek Cervenka, Spc. Sean Doherty, Sgt. Deedra Irwin and Warrant Officer Candidate Leif Nordgren. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Marcus Tracy)

May 18, 2022

Guard Biathletes receive medals for Olympic showing

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — On May 14, four Vermont Army National Guard soldiers, members of the National Guard Biathlon Program, received medals and recognition for their participation on the US Biathlon Olympic Team during the 2022 Olympics held last February in Beijing.

Leaders from Vermont, the Vermont National Guard, and the Republic of Austria gathered in Montpelier for a signing ceremony officially beginning a partnership between the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria through National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The Republic of Austria is the third partner nation with the Vermont National Guard through the State Partnership Program. Vermont also works and trains with North Macedonia and Senegal.

May 11, 2022

Vermont National Guard, Austria formally recognize partnership

MONTPELIER, Vermont — Representatives from the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria formally entered into a partnership May 11 at 2 p.m. Though work between the Austrian military and the Vermont National Guard is not new, the ceremony marked the formal beginning under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.

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 official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard 2026

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Green Mountain Guard Newsletter Archive

National Guard News
A Soldier from the Illinois Army National Guard’s 123rd Engineer Battalion adjusts a drop ceiling at the Forest Park Armory as part of his annual training in June 2026. The battalion's Macomb-based 616th Engineer Utilities Detachment and 661st Engineer Construction Co. did renovation work at the Illinois Army National Guard’s Forest Park Armory preparing the facility to accept new high-technology Illinois Army National Guard units around October. The work included re-piping the heating system, installing LED lighting and replacing ceiling tiles. It could have cost the Illinois Army National Guard from $225,000 to $418,000 had it been contracted out. Courtesy photo.
Illinois Guard Engineers Build Track, Renovate Armory
By Lt. Col. Bradford Leighton, | June 23, 2026
CRESTWOOD, Ill. – The Illinois Army National Guard’s 123rd Engineer Battalion worked on ‘Do It Ourselves’ projects in late May and June, such as building a running track and renovating an armory, giving the Soldiers valuable...
Participants at the Domestic Response Workshop watch videos of previous floods in Zambia at the Zambia Army Headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia, June 9, 2026. Hosted by the Zambian Defence Force, the workshop served as the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program for the North Carolina National Guard's first multinational event held outside the U.S., enabling partner nations to exchange lessons learned from past disasters and share best practices in disaster preparedness, mitigation and emergency management. Photo by Senior Airman Zeno Kang.
North Carolina Guard Partner Zambia Hosts Disaster Response Workshop
By Senior Airman Zeno Kang, | June 23, 2026
LUSAKA, Zambia – Representatives from the North Carolina National Guard, Botswana, Malawi, Moldova (virtually) and Zambia gathered for the North Carolina State Partnership Program Domestic Response Workshop at Zambia Army...
U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers and a civilian cybersecurity specialist collaborate at a workstation to mitigate a simulated network breach during Exercise Cyber Tatanka 2026 in Lincoln, Nebraska, June 9, 2026. The fifth annual exercise brought together 243 defenders from public utilities, health care facilities, law enforcement and financial institutions to defend critical regional infrastructure. Photo by Staff Sgt. Gauret Stearns.
Guardsmen Hone Warrior Skills in Cyber Tatanka Exercise
By Staff Sgt. Gauret Stearns, | June 23, 2026
LINCOLN, Neb. – Cyber Tatanka 2026, a massive cybersecurity exercise designed to test and strengthen the digital defenses of critical infrastructure, concluded June 12 after two weeks of simulated, highly sophisticated...
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