Articles
Army 1st Lt. Joan Emerson of Charlie Company, 186th Brigade Support Battalion, records the hospital beds that are part of each medical pod at the Alternate Healthcare Facility in Essex, Vermont, on April 7th, 2020. The Vermont National Guard is working with the state of Vermont and emergency partners in a whole-of-government effort to flatten the curve during the COVID-19 pandemic. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Cpl. Gillian McCreedy)

July 29, 2021

Voluntary COVID mapping task force concludes operations

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — In the early winter of 2020, Vermont Governor Phil Scott tasked the Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont National Guard with mapping the spread of COVID-19 across the state.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Roberto Mercado, a pilot assigned to the 134th Fighter Squadron, 158th Fighter Wing, answers a question during a group tour of the Vermont Air National Guard base, South Burlington, Vt., June 18, 2021. The tour showcased a cross-section of base missions including the fire department, explosive ordnance disposal, munitions, security forces, and an interactive discussion with a pilot near an F-35. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard D. Mekkri)

July 22, 2021

Vermont ANG launches public tour program

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — The Vermont Air National Guard welcomed visitors on base in June as part of the newly launched public tour program.

Two members of Senegal's National Fire Brigade examine a Vermont National Guard fire response vehicle on July 12, 2021 at Camp Johnson, Vermont. From July 11-21, delegates from Senegal’s National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers) visited Vermont as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Joshua T. Cohen)

July 22, 2021

Senegalese National Fire Brigade visits Vt. for emergency capability demos

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — From July 11-21, delegates from Senegal’s National Fire Brigade (Brigade Nationale des Sapeurs-Pompiers) visited Vermont as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program.

Spc. Ali Alahar poses for the camera during his annual training period.

July 16, 2021

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

COLCHESTER, Vt. — 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.”

158th Fighter Wing fire fighters respond to a structural roof fire.

July 14, 2021

VTANG Fire Department assists with Winooski fire response

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — 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.”

Soldier moves supplies at Strategic National Stockpile Warehouse

July 13, 2021

Vermont Guardsmen transition pandemic support missions at the Strategic National Stockpile

COLCHESTER, Vt. — 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.

The commander of Kosovo Force (KFOR), Italian Maj. Gen. Franco Federici, welcomes the U.S. Army's 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) as they assume responsibility for Regional Command East, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, June 19. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Alvarez)

July 11, 2021

Vermont Soldiers arrive in Kosovo

CAMP BONDSTEEL, 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.

Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, board a C-130 Hercules at the Vermont Air National Guard base, South Burlington, Vt., July 13, 2021. Airmen, aircraft and support equipment from the Vermont Air National Guard depart to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., for a three-week exercise, known as Red Flag—an exercise providing pilots, aircrew and operators a realistic training environment to prepare them for any combat environment. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Richard Mekkri)

July 9, 2021

200 Airmen to train at Red Flag

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — 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.

Col. William Wagner (center) accepts the guidon for the 124th Regiment (Regional Training Institute) from Brig. Gen. James Pabis (left) during the 124th RTI's change-of-command ceremony March 6, 2021, at Camp Johnson, Vermont. The 124th RTI is home to the Army Mountain Warfare School, Information Operations Battalion, Officer Candidate Scchool, and the Basic Leaders Course. Also pictured is Command Sgt. Maj. John Digby III (right), the 124th RTI command sergeant major. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Don Branum)

July 7, 2021

New commander details 124th RTI's pandemic responses

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — 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.

Albanian soldiers suppress simulated opposing forces during crowd control training as part of KFOR 29 at Hohenfels, Germany, June 26, 2021. Allies and partners take part in KFOR 29 training in order to increase interoperability and prepare the unit for peace support, stability and contingency operations in Kosovo in support of civil authorities. NATO has been leading the international peacekeeping force in Kosovo since June 1999 to ensure a secure, stable and multi-ethnic Kosovo. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Enrique Moya)

July 2, 2021

VTARNG Soldiers arrive in Germany

HOHENFELS, 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.

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
U.S. Army Soldiers with the 252nd Engineer Company, assigned to the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border, or JTF-SB, in support of Operation Ardent Vanguard, pose for a photo in Rio Grande Valley, Texas, July 9, 2026, after assisting a driver following a single-vehicle rollover during a routine patrol. The Soldiers provided immediate assistance until local authorities arrived. U.S. Northern Command is working side-by-side with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within narrowly defined authorities to provide unique military capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border. Courtesy photo.
Pennsylvania Guard Soldiers Aid Motorist After Rollover Crash
By Capt. Shamari Pratt, | July 28, 2026
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – Three Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers, 252nd Engineer Company assigned to the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Joint Task Force–Southern Border, or JTF-SB, in support of Operation Ardent...
Sgt. 1st Class Jose Morales, left, and Sgt. Stephannie LaCasse, both flight medics with the Massachusetts National Guard Detachment 1, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion, use an artificial manual breathing unit on a medical simulation mannequin in the Boston MedFlight simulation training center at their Bedford, Massachusetts headquarters, July 17, 2026. The training is part of a critical care training course. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton.
Massachusetts Guard Flight Medics Strengthen Skills
By Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton, | July 27, 2026
BEDFORD, Mass. – Soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard’s Detachment 1, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion, recently spent two weeks training with flight paramedics...
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Daniel Saldivar, the alternate emergency manager and noncommissioned officer in charge of the Emergency Management Flight assigned to the 151st Wing, Utah Air National Guard, uses a Joint Chemical Agent Detector to assess a potential hazard during Exercise Serow Samurai at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 20, 2026. The exercise uses a hub-and-spoke model, with the Emergency Operations Center CBRN Control Center managing the common operating picture while a four-person response team conducts dismounted operations and real-time reporting in the field. Photo by Senior Airman Kyle Blackham.
Air Guardsmen Strengthen Emergency Response in Exercise Serow Samurai
By Senior Airman Kyle Blackham, | July 27, 2026
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – Emergency management Airmen from five Air National Guard units completed Exercise Serow Samurai, a seven-day deployment for training at Misawa Air Base, Japan, focused on chemical, biological,...
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