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Articles
News | May 3, 2018

Meet Your Guard: Sgt. James Hance

Bravo Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)

Name: Sgt. James Hance
Military Specialty: 12B Combat Engineer
Years of Service: 7
Unit: Bravo Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)
Hometown: Burlington, VT
Current Town: Northfield, VT
High School Graduation Year: 2008

Q. Why did you join the Vermont National Guard? 
A. To protect and serve our nation and the state of Vermont. 

Q. What do you do in the Vermont National Guard?
A. I started out as a 12N Heavy equipment operator. I am now currently a 12B20E8, Combat Engineer Explosive Ordnance Clearance Agent. 

Q. What do you do for civilian work?
A. Assistant Grocery manager at the Berlin Corners Shaws. 

Q. What do you think is the greatest benefit of being in the National Guard?
A. Building partnerships and friendships with the community and around the world. Being able to serve in a federal mission along with state missions. Helping locally when disaster strikes. 

Q. How has being a National Guard member benefited you in your local community and job?
A. Serving has caused me to excel rapidly in whatever job field I have been in during my career in the National Guard. Local employers instantly recognize my work ethic and leadership capabilities. 

Q. What is your most memorable military moment?
A. Helping dig out Boston, Mass. With the crazy amount of snow they got during winter a few years ago. 

Q. How long have you lived in Vermont?
A. The better share of 28 years. 

Q. What has surprised you about the Vermont National Guard?
A. The vast amount of career opportunities that there are, in the National Guard itself or partnerships with local employers. 

Q. What is your favorite part about serving in the VT National Guard?
A. Honestly, the people I serve with. I have been exposed to service members all around the country, and those that I serve with here in Vermont are the best, hands down. 

Q. How many push-ups did you get on your last physical fitness test?
A. 74

Q. What made you volunteer for this Senegal Mission?
A. To explore a different country and learn about their culture and make new friendships. 

Q. Is this your first time here going to Senegal?
A. This is my first trip. I am looking forward to trying the local cuisine and learning more about the country. 

Q. What is your mission in Senegal?
A. To build a stronger partnership and build a known distance range for Senegalese Armed Forces.

Q. What do you want to take away from this trip?
A. If nothing else…..awesome memories. 

Q. How do you feel about being able to train with the Senegal Army?
A. I feel like it is an extraordinary opportunity and feel sincerely lucky. 

Q. What are some differences between Senegal and Vermont?
A. Size of the country/state, population, language, religion, customs……basically everything.

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard - April 2025

The above YouTube video link may not work on all government computers. Read the transcript of MG Gregory Knight's full State of the Guard here.

National Guard News
Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Jim Seward visited Ohio County on Tuesday, Jun. 24, 2025, surveying flood recovery efforts firsthand while also recognizing the hard work of the approx. 110 service members on the ground around the area. Soldiers of the 115th Engineer Vertical Construction Company, 119th Engineer Company (Sapper), 601st Engineer Support Company, 821st Engineer Construction Company, 1092nd Engineer Battalion, 150th Cavalry Regiment, and Airmen with the 167th and 130th Airlift Wings continue to partner with emergency managers, public works, community members, local businesses and volunteers to support debris removal and community assessments. Following severe flash flooding in West Virginia’s Ohio and Marion counties that began late in the day on June 14, 2025, Soldiers and Airmen with the WVNG have been mobilized at the direction of Governor Patrick Morrisey, resulting in troops and equipment on the ground since June 16th.
West Virginia Guard Continues Flood Cleanup Efforts
By Staff Sgt. Zoe Morris, | July 1, 2025
WHEELING, W. Va. – The West Virginia National Guard continues to work with local, state and volunteer partners on flood recovery operations in the severely damaged communities of Marion and Ohio counties.Maj. Gen. Jim Seward,...

Captain, facility therapy dog, 114th Fighter Wing, greets Airmen as they work June 24, 2025 at Joe Foss Field, South Dakota. Her handler, Nichole Gruber, an integrated primary prevention workforce integrator at the 114th Fighter Wing, leads the Wing’s facility therapy dog initiative to promote mental wellness, support emotional regulation, and strengthen connections among Airmen.
South Dakota Air Guard’s New Therapy Dog Lends a Pawsitive Touch
By Master Sgt. Luke Olson, | July 1, 2025
JOE FOSS FIELD, S.D. – At the 114th Fighter Wing, the commitment to Airmen extends beyond physical readiness and now includes a four-legged presence focused on mental wellness. Captain, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador retriever,...

U.S. Air Force and Guatemalan Aircraft stage for a photo during CENTAM Guardian 25, May 20, 2025. Pictured in the photo, from left to right, are a Guatemalan Bell 412 helicopter, a U.S. C-130 Hercules, a Guatemalan Cessna 208 Caravan, a U.S. CH-47 Chinook, a Beechcraft 200 King Air, a U.S. C-130 Hercules, and a Guatemalan Bell 212 helicopter.
Missouri Airmen Provide Airlift in Central American Exercise
By Michael Crane, | June 30, 2025
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing completed its first-ever support of CENTAM GUARDIAN 2025, a multinational exercise hosted by U.S. Southern Command and the Guatemalan Ministry of...