Articles

Aug. 17, 2021

A Soldier’s story: From Kenyan refugee camp to Vt. National Guard officer

For 2nd Lt. Abdimaik Hashi, newly commissioned in the Vermont National Guard, the road to commissioning as an officer began in 2016 when he enlisted in the Minnesota Army National Guard. As a 19K armor crewman, Hashi initially drove M1 main battle tanks with A Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion-194th Armor Regiment.

Aug. 12, 2021

Regional Command - East conducts mass casualty, active shooter training

Regional Command – East conducted an active shooter exercise on Camp Bondsteel on Aug.12, 2021 to train Soldiers from a variety of sections with a variety of specialties to ensure readiness in the instance of a real-world active shooter. The exercise included active shooters, casualties, response from the joint operations center, civilian emergency responders, medical personnel, security details, and military police responses.

Aug. 12, 2021

Military Working Dogs provide essential role for Camp Bondsteel security

If you visit Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo, you may be met at the front gate by Figo and his handler Cpl. Charles West, with the 131st Military Police Detachment. Figo is a Malinois X, a mix of the Belgian malinois and the German shepherd dog. The combination results in an intelligent, good-natured, level-headed energetic protector of their beloved human.

Aug. 11, 2021

Regional Command - East hits ground running

Soldiers from the U.S. Army, including Soldiers from multiple National Guard states, Reserve Component, and Active Duty, as well as Soldiers from Poland, Latvia, Switzerland, Turkey, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary, and Italy, have fully established at various locations across Kosovo as part of Regional Command – East. Needless to say, we hit the ground running. Kosovo has experienced a fair amount of wild fires of late, and RC-E has been called upon to assist in combating fires in the Western and Northern portions of Kosovo.

Aug. 10, 2021

Vermont Guard mobile app enhanced with additional features

New functionality, resources and content have been added to the Vermont National Guard’s app making it easier for members to access information ranging from The Adjutant General’s Feed, VTNG news, family and military support resources to recruiting contact details and more.

Aug. 10, 2021

Vermont adjutant general shares organizational assessment results

Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Vermont's adjutant general, shared on Aug. 6 the results of an organizational assessment conducted in 2020 by the National Guard Bureau's Office of Complex Investigations.

Aug. 10, 2021

Vermont National Guard introduces new anti-harassment reporting policy

The prevention of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation is a top priority at the Vermont National Guard. Recently, we published a comprehensive Harassment Reporting and Response Plan to address these serious issues.

Aug. 9, 2021

Biden to approve Austin's request to make COVID-19 vaccine mandatory

By mid-September, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will request a waiver from President Joe Biden to make the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for service members, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said. 

Aug. 8, 2021

Vermont National Guard releases organizational assessment

The Vermont National Guard has publicly released a 113-page assessment prepared by the National Guard Bureau’s Office of Complex Investigations at the request of VTNG Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight.

Aug. 4, 2021

Remembering the Code Talkers

National Navajo Code Talkers Day is Aug. 14, 2021. As the observance approaches, we should take a moment to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of the nearly 25,000 Native Americans who served in the Armed Forces during WWII. In the words of Signal Officer Maj. Howard Connor, “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima.”

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard - April 2025

The above YouTube video link may not work on all government computers. Read the transcript of MG Gregory Knight's full State of the Guard here.

National Guard News
Airmen assigned to the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard, prepare to board a HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter during combat search and rescue training at the Hardwood Range, Wisconsin, May 12, 2025. The HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopter was part of the Combat Search and Rescue task force element during the week-long training.
Maryland Air Guard Conducts Combat Search and Rescue Training in Wisconsin
By Master Sgt. Christopher Schepers, | May 16, 2025
VOLK FIELD, Wis. - Nearly 50 Airmen and six A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned to the Maryland National Guard’s 175th Wing deployed to Volk Field Air National Guard Base’s Combat Readiness Training Center, Wisconsin, to...

Aircrew assigned to the 139th Operations Group, Missouri Air National Guard, prepare for takeoff in a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Missouri, May 13, 2025. The 139th Operations Group conducted a training exercise simulating a cyberattack that denied access to the internet, GPS and phones, challenging aircrews to complete their missions without digital communication tools.
Missouri Airmen Go Analog in Cyber Attack Simulation
By Michael Crane, | May 16, 2025
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Missouri Air National Guard’s 139th Operations Group completed Operations Goes Dark, a four-day exercise held May 12-15 designed to simulate the effects of a cyber attack.During the exercise, aircrews...

The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group, working with the Boise Fire Department, assisted in the rescue of two rafters on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon, May 15.
Idaho Army National Guard, Boise Fire Department Conduct Water Rescue
By Maj. Robert Taylor, | May 16, 2025
BOISE, Idaho - The Idaho Army National Guard’s State Aviation Group, working with the Boise Fire Department, assisted in rescuing two rafters May 15 on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon. Two individuals were rafting...