Articles
Airmen assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing take off in an aircraft that will bring them to their deployed location, from the Burlington International Airport.

Jan. 13, 2025

Vermont Air National Guard Deploys to Japan

More than 200 Airmen, along with equipment and F-35A Lighting II aircraft from the Vermont Air National Guard recently deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, as part of a planned rotation to enhance regional security and strengthen interoperability with joint and allied forces.

Photo of U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Hayden Lessor, from the Low Observable Maintenance Shop, Vermont Air National Guard, standing for a photo with his family while attending the Joining Forces event at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Jan. 8, 2025

VTANG Airman Represents Vermont at White House for Joining Forces

It’s not every day a member of the Vermont Air National Guard walks the halls of the White House, let alone shares a moment with the First Lady of the United States. For Tech. Sgt. Hayden Lessor of the 158th Fighter Wing, that moment became reality when he represented Vermont and the VTANG at the annual Joining Forces event.

Vermont National Guard Press Release

Dec. 6, 2024

Vermont National Guard hosts 2024 Operation Santa's Convoy

The Vermont National Guard will escort Santa Claus on a lighted convoy around the state on December 19.

Photo of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Analie Choquette, a Transportation Movement Operations Specialist assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, preparing her horse, Prada, for a ride at a barn in Orange, Vermont, Nov. 17, 2024.

Nov. 26, 2024

TMO Airman Not Horsing Around

In the world of the U.S. Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II, precision, focus, and attention to detail are imperative to ensuring the safety of the jets, their operators, and the accuracy of the aircraft’s performance. For Senior Airman Analie Choquette, a Traffic Management Operations Specialist with the 158th Fighter Wing, these are not just attributions to the F-35—they serve her during her off-duty time as well.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Dayton Brown (right), the base civil engineer, and Mr. Robert Letourneau, the base engineering technician, walk the grounds of the solar array expansion at the Vermont Air National Guard Base

Nov. 16, 2024

158th Fighter Wing Expands Largest Solar Array in Air National Guard

The Vermont Air National Guard began the third and final phase of a photovoltaic power project, an ambitious solar energy initiative aimed at bolstering energy resilience, reducing carbon emissions, and enhancing emergency readiness.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Mathew Lehman, Staff Sgt. Jana Somero, and Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Berthiaume, all members of the 158th Fighter Wing, stand in front the sign for Camp Lemonnier

Oct. 29, 2024

Honoring Our Deployed Airmen on National Day of the Deployed

More than 50 Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing are deploying this fall to support ongoing missions in the United States Central Command and United States Africa Command theaters.

A photo of Kristina Von Trapp, granddaughter of Maria Von Trapp; Capt. Kelsey "Ice" Flannery, an F-35 pilot with the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing; Klaudia Tanner, Minister of Defense of Austria; Victoria Kennedy, the U.S. ambassador to Austria; Capt. Melanie “MACH” Kluesner, F-35 Demo Team pilot; Command Chief Master Sgt. Jillian Rolla, Vermont state command chief; meeting at one of the 158th's F-35A Lightning IIs on display during Airpower, the largest air show in Europe, Hinterstoisser Air Base, Zetlweg, Austria, Sept. 6, 2024.

Oct. 3, 2024

Vermont Returns to Austria for AIRPOWER24 and Maple Tiger

With four F-35A Lightning IIs flying through the Austrian mountains, the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing returned to Austria for a second year of training with the Austrian and Swiss air forces.

An F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing

Sept. 10, 2024

Airpower for Great Power Competition

The term great power competition is increasingly being used to describe the current global strategic landscape facing the United States and its allies. This paper examines the implications of that landscape for airpower.

An F-35A Lightning II pilot assigned to the 134th Fighter Squadron, Vermont Air National Guard, prepares to depart during a routine night training mission

Sept. 9, 2024

158FW Night Flying Operations

The Vermont Air National Guard will conduct night flying operations from Tuesday, September 10, to Thursday, September 12, and from Tuesday, September 17 to Wednesday, September 18 with one afternoon and one evening takeoff period per day. Flights are scheduled to conclude by 9:30 p.m.

F-35A Lightning II’s assigned to the 134th Fighter Squadron, 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard line up prior to takeoff at the South Burlington Air National Guard Base, South Burlington, Vermont on March 2, 2024. The VTANG conducted air operations so that its pilots and ground crew can remain ready and proficient. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Patrick Crosley)

Sept. 2, 2024

VTANG Trains in Austria

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — Airmen and F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the Vermont Air National Guard will depart for Austria in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 4, to participate in the Airpower Air Show and a multinational training exercise the following week.

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
Members of the 104th Fighter Wing actively participate in a Major Aircraft Response Exercise, or MARE, May 12-14, 2026, at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Massachusetts. The exercise incorporated personnel accountability, antiterrorism procedures, Force Protection Condition actions, active shooter response and Continuity of Operations drills, which provided a comprehensive test of the wing’s ability to respond to real-world threats and maintain mission continuity under pressure. Photo by Airman 1st Class Ellen Ozkaptan.
Massachusetts Airmen Sharpen Readiness During Major Aircraft Response Exercise
By Airman 1st Class Ellen Ozkaptan, | May 26, 2026
BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. – The Massachusetts National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing strengthened its crisis response capabilities during a Major Aircraft Response Exercise, or MARE, held May 11–14, testing Airmen...
Jane Horton poses next to Ty Dillon's No. 10 Chevrolet before the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, May 24, 2026. Dillon's race car carried the name of Horton's husband, Army Spc. Christopher David Horton, a sniper assigned to the Oklahoma Army National Guard's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, who was killed Sept. 9, 2011, in Afghanistan. Courtesy photo.
National Guard Gold Star Spouse Turns Grief Into Advocacy
By Army Maj. Wes Shinego, | May 26, 2026
CONCORD, N.C. – The loudest place in American sports knew when to be quiet.At Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, the Coca-Cola 600 was everything it is supposed to be: horsepower, heat, noise and 600 miles of...
U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Reuben Dominguez, 163d Regional Training Site superintendent, California Air National Guard, gives kudos to Airmen after operating a skid-steer successfully during a weeklong Rapid Damage Repair course at March Air Reserve Base, California, May 19, 2026. Airmen learn to execute full-scale crater repair procedures, beginning with debris removal and upheaval marking before progressing through excavation, backfilling, compaction and surface restoration. Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Julianne Sitterding.
California Guard Trains Airmen to Rapidly Repair Damaged Airfields
By Senior Master Sgt. Julianne Sitterding, | May 26, 2026
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. – Seven instructors assigned to the California National Guard’s 163d Regional Training Site train more than 1,000 Airmen annually through specialty courses such as Rapid Damage Repair, using...
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