Articles
The Vermont National Guard and Senegalese Armed Forces engineers are renovating the firing range through their State Partnership Program relationship.

April 17, 2018

Meet Your Guard: Staff Sgt. Ryan Maskell

MOUNT ROLLAND TRAINING SITE, Senegal — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on Staff Sgt. Ryan Maskell, a heavy equipment operator with Detachment 1, Garrison Support Command, who is also a native of Highgate, Vt. Maskell and his unit worked with the Senegalese Army to build and repair a firing range in Senegal

The Vermont National Guard and Senegalese Armed Forces engineers are renovating the firing range through their State Partnership Program relationship.

April 16, 2018

Vermont Guard engineers kick off range project

MOUNT ROLLAND TRAINING SITE, Senegal — Vermont National Guard Engineers kicked off a firing range project here with a team of Senegalese Armed Force Engineers Monday.

March 30, 2018

Meet Your Guard: Maj. Scott Brochu

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on Maj. Scott Brochu, a logistics readiness officer with the 158th Fighter Wing, who is a native of South Burlington, Vt., and currently lives in Essex, Vt. Brochu has served in the Vermont National Guard for 26 years.

Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Bond, maintenance analyst, 158th Fighter Wing poses for a photograph.

March 30, 2018

Meet Your Guard: Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Bond

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on Tech. Sgt. Lindsey Bond, a maintenance analyst, with the 158th Fighter Wing, who is also a native of Colchester, Vt., and now lives in Milton. Bond has served in the Vermont Air Guard for nine years.

Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Riley, vehicle operations and ground transportation, 158th Fighter Wing, poses for an official photograph.

March 30, 2018

Meet your Guard: Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Riley

CAMP JOHNSON, Vt. — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Riley, a vehicles operations/ground transportation specialist, with the 158th Fighter Wing, Logistics Readiness Squadron, who is also a native of Colchester, Vt. Riley works as a full time supervisor for the Vehicle Operations Section of the Logistics Readiness Squadron.

Vermont Guard members obtain medical experience in Senegal

March 20, 2018

Vermont National Guard medical personnel work in Senegal

ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal — Vermont National Guard members mobilized to Senegal Feb. 4-23 to work with Senegalese medical personnel to obtain experience providing services as part of a medical readiness training exercise.

1st. Lt. John C. Helme, 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) poses for a photograph. (Courtesy Photo)

Feb. 16, 2018

Meet your Guard: 1st Lt. John Helme

CAMP JOHNSON, Vt. — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on 1st Lt. John C. Helme, a signal officer, with 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), who is also a native of Barre, Vt., and currently lives in Burlington, Vt. Helme teaches math at Colchester Middle School.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Yulia Benson, bandsman, 40th Army Band, Vermont Army National Guard plays during a concert.

Feb. 16, 2018

Meet your Guard: Staff Sgt. Yulia Benson

BURLINGTON, Vt. — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on Staff Sgt. Yulia Benson, a 42R band musician, with 40th Army Band, 86th Troop Command, Garrison Support Command, who is also a native of Kazan, Russia, and currently lives in Milton, Vt. Benson has served in the Vermont National Guard for 11 years and works full time in the guard.

Sgt. Peter Shepardson, wheeled-vehicle mechanic, Bravo Company, 186th Brigade Support Battalion, Vermont Army National Guard, poses for a photo. (Courtesy Photo)

Feb. 16, 2018

Meet your Guard: Sgt. Peter Shepardson

CAMP JOHNSON, Vt. — This edition of Meet Your Guard focuses on Sgt. Peter Shepardson, a 91B wheeled-vehicle mechanic, with Bravo Company, 186th Brigade Support Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain), who is also a native of Essex Junction, Vt., and currently lives in Westford, Vt. Shepardson has served in the Vermont National Guard for three years.

Biathlon Competition

Jan. 27, 2018

National Guard Biathlon Regionals Held in Vermont

CAMP ETHAN ALLEN TRAINING SITE, Vt. — National Guardsmen from 24 states competed in their respective Regional Biathlon Competitions at Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho, Vermont. Biathlon consists of target shooting and ski racing. Competitors, ranging from novice to master, are divided into west, central, and east regions.

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
Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau, and Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, senior enlisted advisor to the CNGB, address the 148th annual conference of the National Guard Association of the United States, Indianapolis, Indiana, Aug. 29, 2026. Photo by Master Sgt. Zach Sheely.
Nordhaus, Raines Outline a National Guard Focused on the Future
By Master Sgt. Zach Sheely and Master Sgt. Sarah McClanahan, | Sept. 2, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS – "Together, we need to lead boldly, and we can never be late to need." That's how Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the 30th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, challenged National Guard leaders to keep pace with a...
An Alaska Air National Guard HH-60W Jolly Green II, assigned to the 210th Rescue Squadron, 176th Wing, flies over Southcentral Alaska during a training mission July 8, 2026. Crew of 210th Rescue Squadron and pararescuemen of 212th Rescue Squadron rescued four occupants of a Cessna 180 after an Aug. 30, 2026, crash at Montague Island. Photo by Alejandro Pena.
Alaska Air National Guard Rescues Four From Plane Crash
By David Bedard, | Sept. 2, 2026
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – Alaska Air National Guardsmen of the 176th Wing rescued four people from an Aug. 30 plane crash at a Montague Island coastal sandbar about 60 miles southeast of Seward.The Alaska...
A C-130 (MAFFS 4) from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing performs a water drop April 24, 2025, during Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, Spring Training 2025, held at the Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in Port Hueneme, Calif. This part of the training was conducted in the Angeles National Forest near Green Valley, California, April 21-27, 2025. Training included classroom sessions, flying and ground operations for Air Force aircrews, civilian lead plane pilots and support personnel from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, other federal agencies and CAL FIRE. First Air Force (Air Forces Northern), U.S. Northern Command's Air Component, is the Department of War's operational lead for the aerial military wildland fire fighting response. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Paula Macomber.
Modular Airborne System Delivers One Million Gallons of Fire Retardant
By 1st Lt. Matthew Greiner, | Sept. 2, 2026
RENO, Nev. – Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, crews have surpassed 1 million gallons of fire retardant delivered during the 2026 wildfire season, marking a milestone in a joint military and civilian effort...
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