Articles

Oct. 26, 2021

State Partnership Program helps Guard build enduring relationships

ARLINGTON, Virginia — With the recent additions of the Vermont National Guard partnership with Austria and New Hampshire National Guard with Cabo Verde, the State Partnership Program now includes just under half the world’s nations.

U.S. Army Sgt. Claire Johnson, a flight paramedic with C Company 3rd regiment 126th Aviation (Air Ambulance), provides explanations for medical equipment carried on the M997A3 ambulance to students in the health profession visiting Camp Johnson in Colchester, Vermont, Oct. 25, 2021. The Guard hosted students from the Center for Technology in Essex, VT. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joshua T. Cohen)

Oct. 25, 2021

Vermont Guard medics host Essex Center for Technology health profession students

On Monday, Oct. 25, Vermont Guard medics hosted students enrolled in health profession courses at the Center for Technology, Essex. The Army medics staged equipment, including an M997A3 ambulance at the Camp Johnson armory

Pfc. Eli Nielsen, a Black Hawk helicopter mechanic assigned to Detachment 2, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, Vermont National Guard, inspects an aircraft interior at the Army Aviation Support Facility, South Burlington, Vermont, on Oct. 12, 2021. Nielsen is also a member of the Vermont National Guard Biathlon Team. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joshua T. Cohen)

Oct. 21, 2021

Biathlon opportunities attract Washington native

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — Serving in a dual capacity, Pfc. Eli Nielsen’s days are fully occupied. An M-Day, 15 Tango, Black Hawk helicopter maintainer with Detachment 2, Charlie Company 1st Battalion 224th Aviation Regiment, Nielsen is also a member of the Guard’s Biathlon team.

Senior leaders with the Vermont National Guard, Austrian Defence Attache staff and personnel from the Office of the Secretary of Defense pose for a photo outside the Pentagon on Oct. 15, 2021. Austria and Vermont will become partners within the U.S. Defense Department's State Partnership Program. The pairing of Austria and Vermont was announced as part of the U.S.-Austria Defense Talks between delegations from the Federal Ministry of Defence of Austria and the DOD. (Courtesy photo)

Oct. 21, 2021

VTNG-Austria state partnership explained

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — The Defense Department announced on Oct. 15 a new partnership between the Vermont National Guard and the Austrian Ministry of Defence, establishing Vermont’s third state partnership in the 28-year history of the program.

This image contains cropped photos of Vermont and Austria mountain ranges, with blended Vermont and Austrian flags, to represent the newly announced State Partnership Program initiative between Vermont and Austria, announced by the Defense Department Oct. 15, 2021. (Vermont Army National Guard photo illustration by Marcus Tracy)

Oct. 15, 2021

Vermont National Guard to add Austria as third State Partner

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — The Vermont National Guard will welcome the Republic of Austria as the third member of their State Partnership Program.

Students from the Center for Technology Essex operate heavy equipment under supervision from Vermont National Guard Soldiers during a visit to the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vermont, on Oct. 12, 2021. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Don Branum)

Oct. 13, 2021

Vermont Guard Soldiers introduce students to heavy equipment

JERICHO, Vermont — The Center for Technology Essex has partnered with the Vermont National Guard for years to offer students hands-on vocational training, but a visit to the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site on Oct. 12 marked the first chance for an entire classroom of students to attend.

Brendan Popp, Biological Science Technician with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services, releases a raccoon back into wild during a portion of the National Rabies Management Program (NRMP) at the Vermont Air National Guard base, South Burlington, Vermont, July 15, 2021. The goal of the NRMP is to prevent the spread of rabies in wildlife by containing and eliminating the virus. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard Mekkri)

Oct. 6, 2021

VTANG Partners with USDA for Rabies Vaccine Study

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — A collective partnership that began more than 10 years ago between the Vermont Air National Guard, the Burlington International Airport and the United States Department of Agriculture continues to aid in the prevention of rabies-related deaths. This summer, the VTANG and the USDA’s National Rabies Management Program collaborated with the goal of preventing the spread of rabies in wildlife by containing and eliminating the virus.

Army Sgt. Lisa Kromer displays a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the Doubletree Hotel in Burlington, Vermont, March 3, 2021. Kromer is part of the Vermont National Guard's Task Force Coyote, which recently transitioned from offering COVID testing to providing vaccinations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Josh Cohen)

Oct. 6, 2021

Joint Task Force Coyote continues COVID-19 vaccination clinics

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — Recently extended until Dec. 31, the Vermont National Guard’s support to the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues. According to Maj. Daniel Dykeman, officer in charge of the Guard’s COVID joint task force, “JTF Coyote is currently occupied conducting vaccination clinics to meet the needs of the State of Vermont.”

Vermont National Guard state force protection officers, mentored by Burlington Police Department patrol instructors respond to a simulated active shooter situation on September 26 at the Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, VT. The event marked the first time state force protection officers from the Army and Air Guard trained together in active shooter response. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joshua T. Cohen)

Oct. 1, 2021

Vermont National Guard force protection officers practice active shooter response

JERICHO, Vermont — On Sept. 26-27, the Vermont National Guard hosted a first-of-its-kind active shooter response training conducted at the Vermont Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho by state civilian force protection employees from the Vermont Army and Air National Guard as well as Air Force security forces Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing.

Soldier points out parts of new M17 pistol.

Sept. 23, 2021

Vermont Guardsman awarded $8,000 for M17 training round extraction solution

COLCHESTER, Vt. — Shortly after the U.S. Army adopted the M17 service pistol in 2017, new individual weapons qualifications requiring the use of Dummy, Drilled, Inert (DDI) practice rounds prior to attempting the live fire qualification course were implemented.

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard 2026

Note: the above YouTube video link may not work on all government computers. 

Green Mountain Guard Newsletter Archive

National Guard News
Minnesota Army National Guard Spc. Bronson Stachowiak, from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, who serves as a unit supply specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 682nd Engineer Battalion is one of 27 service members from the Minnesota National Guard and NATO allied nations Canada and Croatia who participated in the 2026 Minnesota Best Warrior Competition April 15-18, 2026, at Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, Minnesota. This competition tests participants’ knowledge, technical and tactical proficiency, physical endurance and resilience through a series of demanding events. Minnesota’s winners will move on to compete against the best Soldiers and noncommissioned officers from across the Midwest at the Region IV Best Warrior Competition, hosted this year by the Michigan National Guard at Fort Custer, April 29-May 3, 2026. Photo by Staff Sgt. Bob Brown.
Minnesota Guard, Croatia Partners Participate in Best Warrior Competition
By Staff Sgt. Mahsima Alkamooneh, | April 22, 2026
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. – Twenty-seven Minnesota Guard members, along with Canadian and Croatian soldiers, tested their skills April 15-18 during harsh weather conditions in the 2026 Minnesota Best Warrior Competition.The...
Maj. Jaymar Imperial, Operations Officer, 10th Civil Support Team gives a briefing during a multi-agency Radiation Response Workshop, April 3, 2026 at Camp Murray, Wash. Courtesy photo.
Washington Guard Leads Multi-Agency Radiation Response Workshop
By Joseph Siemandel, | April 22, 2026
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – The Washington National Guard’s 10th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction) hosted a multi-agency Radiation Response Workshop April 3, bringing together federal, state and local partners to...
Airmen from the 146th Airlift Wing, 152nd Airlift Wing and the 302nd Airlift Wing train alongside CAL FIRE ground crews during their annual Modular Airborne Firefighting System, or MAFFS, recertification training at McClellan Air Tanker Base, Sacramento, Calif., April 20, 2026. The MAFFS is a roll on and off system that enables a military C-130 aircraft to become a firefighting air tanker that can spread thousands of gallons of fire retardant, aiding ground crews to supress wildfires. The training ensures that aircrews and support personnel remain qualified to operate the MAFFS system and fly into hazardous fire areas at any time of year. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Michelle Ulber.
California Guard Conducts Training Ahead of Wildfire Season
By Tech. Sgt. Michelle Ulber, | April 22, 2026
McCLELLAN AIR TANKER STATION, SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Airmen with the 146th Airlift Wing began their annual Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, recertification and training April 20, in preparation to support aerial...
More