Articles
U.S. Army Sgt. David Coburn (Ret), Vermont National Guard holds two photos of his time as a heavy equipment operator in Vietnam.

March 7, 2025

Hardwick Native Reflects on Service from Vietnam to Vermont

For retired Army Sergeant David Coburn, service has always been a part of life—whether on foreign soil, in the hills of Vermont, or at home as a dedicated firefighter.

Staff Sgt. Noah Lukan, a Cyber Communications specialist assigned to the 148th Communications Squadron, 148th Fighter Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, participated in a cold-water immersion as part of the Air National Guard's cold weather operations course at Camp Ripley Training Center, Minn., Feb. 7, 2025. Students participated in a six-day, five-night Field Training Exercise where they traveled on foot in subzero temperatures, using land navigational skills, to build camps featuring either a 10-man Arctic tent or thermal shelters made from materials found in nature. Students were comprised of mostly Security Forces specialists, but also included a Maintenance Group Commander, Physician Assistant, Cyber Communications Specialist, and a Public Affairs Specialist. The course taught service members to conduct mission-essential tasking in extreme cold environments.

Feb. 11, 2025

Air National Guard Conducts Arctic Training in Minnesota

CAMP RIPLEY, Minn. — 70 Air National Guard airmen gathered at Camp Ripley Training Center, Minn., from Jan. 27 to Feb. 8, 2025, to train and conduct mission-essential tasks in extremely cold temperatures, during the Air National Guard’s Cold Weather Operations Course (CWOC).

Capt. Matthew Purdy (right), who is currently serving as project engineer on the Canandaigua VA Medical Center project, participates in a site tour of the project.

Feb. 4, 2025

Army officer gaining engineering experience at Canandaigua VA Medical Center project

Capt. Matthew Purdy has had an interest in engineering and how things work since he was a preschooler. That lifelong interest has led him to his current role as a project engineer on the Canandaigua VA Medical Center project in upstate New York.

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, Vermont Adjutant General, Vermont National Guard, poses for photo with Vermont secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Lindsay Kurrle (left) and Dr. Bettyjo Bouchey, UVM Chief Officer for Professional and Continuing Education at the Army Aviation Support Facility.

Jan. 14, 2025

Vermont National Guard and University of Vermont sign partnership agreement to enhance career development for service members

The Vermont National Guard signed a partnership agreement with the University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education (UVM PACE) to bolster career development for service members at the Army Aviation Support Facility in South Burlington on Jan 14.

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.

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
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Kyle Sanders, a crew chief with G Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation, watches as water releases from an HH-60M Black Hawk helicopter's bucket onto the Hagen Fire in Umatilla County, Oregon, Aug. 10, 2026. Photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne.
Oregon Guard Assists With Hagen Fire Response
By Maj. Wayne Clyne, | Aug. 14, 2026
PENDLETON, Ore. – Inside the cabin of an HH-60M Black Hawk, Staff Sgt. Kyle Sanders leans out over the open door, eyes locked on a water bucket swinging 100 feet below the aircraft. The pilots up front can’t see it, since...
U.S. Air Force members assigned to the 217th Air Component Operations Squadron collaborate in support of Exercise Northern Strike 26-2 at Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Michigan, Aug. 4, 2026. Northern Strike is a reserve component training event that focuses on joint readiness training to build interoperability and strengthen partnerships between services. Photo by Staff Sgt. Sean Moriarty.
Michigan Guard Proves Command and Control Capability at Northern Strike
By Capt. Jacob Murray and Tech. Sgt. Tristan Viglianco, | Aug. 14, 2026
ALPENA, Mich. – The Michigan National Guard’s 110th Wing conducted an air component forward experiment during exercise Northern Strike 26-2 at the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center, Aug 3-14, evaluating agile command...
From left, Staff Sgt. Adan Mancera, cybersecurity journeyman, 171st Air Refueling Wing; Senior Master Sgt. Robert Beveridge, warfighter communications superintendent, 171st Air Refueling Wing; and Maj. Aivaras Ramanauskar, chief of cyber operations, Lithuanian Cyber Command, pose for a photo at the Lithuanian Cyber Command in Vilnius July 14, 2026. Courtesy photo.
Pennsylvania Guard Strengthens Partnership With Lithuania
By Tech. Sgt. Zoe Wockenfuss, | Aug. 14, 2026
CORAOPOLIS, Pa. – A team from the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 171st Air Refueling Wing Communications Squadron traveled to Lithuania July 12-25, completing the unit’s fifth rotation supporting the Lithuanian Air Force’s...
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