Articles

July 16, 2021

From Iraq to Vermont – One National Guardsman details his long road to military service

For 24-year-old Vermont Army National Guard Specialist Ali Aljarah, military service means being prepared to deploy, “as the only way to protect and serve my country to help stop harm from being caused anywhere in the world.”

July 14, 2021

VTANG Fire Department assists with Winooski fire response

The Vermont Air National Guard fire department responded to a small apartment building fire in Winooski early Wednesday morning. “The crews assisted with fire control, search, salvage and overhaul. The fire had spread throughout the walls and reached the attic. This made things exponentially more difficult for on scene crews to mitigate,” said Brannon Sotor, Vermont Air National Guard installation fire chief. “All personnel on scene worked seamlessly to bring the fire under control.”

July 13, 2021

Vermont Guardsmen transition pandemic support missions at the Strategic National Stockpile

As members of the Vermont National Guard’s pandemic response force disassembled and stored an emergency medical surge facility recently used as a mass vaccination site, termination of Vermont’s COVID-19 state of emergency has led to a shift in priorities for Soldiers and Airmen supporting the State’s Strategic National Stockpile.

July 11, 2021

Vermont Soldiers arrive in Kosovo

Greetings from Kosovo! After spending about two weeks at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, Soldiers mainly from the Vermont National Guard once again packed up and moved out! We give a huge ‘thank you!’ to the full-time staff at JMRC for all their help preparing us for our mission in Kosovo. As we took the beautiful bus ride back to Nuremberg, Germany, we realized we were ready to fly to Pristina, Kosovo for our Kosovo Force (KFOR) 29 mission.

July 9, 2021

200 Airmen to train at Red Flag

Airmen, aircraft and support equipment from the Vermont Air National Guard will begin departing on July 14, from the 158th Fighter Wing to train at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. This three-week exercise, known as Red Flag, provides pilots, aircrew and operators a realistic training environment to prepare them for any combat environment.

July 7, 2021

New commander details 124th RTI's pandemic responses

Operations at the Vermont National Guard’s 124th Regional Training Institute are gradually returning to the pre-COVID normal according to the Institute’s newly appointed commander, Col. William Wagner.

July 2, 2021

VTARNG Soldiers arrive in Germany

Only weeks after a grueling year of COVID-19 support to Vermont and a month long mission to Washington, D.C. for Operation Capitol Response, over 900 Soldiers from the Vermont Army National Guard are now deployed across the globe in support of various missions fulfilling our federal missions.

June 28, 2021

Vaccination rates soar for deployed infantry battalion

The Jericho, Vermont, based 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain) surpasses the average COVID-19 vaccination rate while deployed.

June 22, 2021

Vermont Guardsman Receives Soldier’s Medal for 2020 rescue

On Feb. 29, 2020, Sgt. 1st Class Dustin Dearborn, a Vermont National Guard instructor at the Army Mountain Warfare School, responded to an emergency call from State Police to assist in the rescue of two skiers lost at night, in deteriorating weather near the Stowe Mountain ski area.

June 10, 2021

Vermont National Guard biathletes eye 2022 Beijing Olympics

Three Vermont National Guard biathletes are training hard in anticipation of attending the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. If selected, VTARNG members will make up 37 percent of the U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team.The event

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TAG's State of the Guard 2026

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National Guard News
Soldiers with the 2-285th Assault Helicopter Battalion, Arizona National Guard, conduct helicopter bucket training and qualification in Picacho, Ariz., March 5, 2026. The training sharpens pilot and crew chief coordination while sustaining the unit’s readiness to respond to wildfires and support operations at home and abroad. Photo by Sgt. Samantha Hill.
Arizona Guard Helicopter Battalion Hones Wildfire Response Skills
By Sgt. Samantha Hill, | March 13, 2026
PICACHO, Ariz. – Soldiers with the 2-285th Assault Helicopter Battalion, Arizona National Guard, participated in helicopter bucket training and qualification at Picacho Stage Field, Ariz., hosted March 5 by the Arizona...

Clackamas and Gresham firefighters prepare to work in a contaminated zone by donning protective chemical suits during response procedures in an Air Monitoring Exercise on Feb. 26, 2026, in Clackamas, Oregon. The training brought together partner agencies, including the Oregon National Guard CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, and the Environmental Protection Agency, after an Oregon Emergency Response System notification, with a focus on technical decontamination response actions. This multi-agency exercise improved the synchronization of radio communications across all systems, allowing incident commanders to make informed decisions during real-world emergencies. Photo by John Hughel
Oregon Guard Specialized Team Boosts Chemical Leak Preparedness
By John Hughel, | March 13, 2026
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Oregon National Guard's 102nd CBRN, or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Defense Enhanced Response Force Package, also known as CERFP, participated in two recent regional training exercises...

Maj. Andriy Karpenko, UAS/C-UAS officer, Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program, discusses different UAS, or unmanned aerial systems, operating systems with police officers at the 2026 Tribal Police Leadership & Counterdrug Conference March 10, 2026, at the Thurston County Readiness Center, Tumwater, Wash. Photo by Joseph Siemandel.
Washington Guard Hosts Annual Tribal Police, Counterdrug Conference
By Joseph Siemandel, | March 13, 2026
TUMWATER, Wash. – With a focus on increasing public safety and reducing the availability of illegal drugs in Washington Tribes, the Washington National Guard’s Counterdrug Program held its annual Tribal Police Leadership &...