The Vermont Army National Guard will hold a change of command ceremony for the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) July 19 at 11 a.m. at the Camp Ethan Allen Training Site in Jericho.

Col. Brey Hopkins will succeed Col. Nathan Lord as commander of the 86th ICBT (MTN).

“On Sunday we say goodbye to Colonel Lord, who served as commander of the 86th IBCT during a critical time. His leadership brought the 86th IBCT to a higher level of achievement earning the brigade a reputation as one of the best IBCTs in the Army,” said Brig. Gen. David Manfredi, land component commander for the Vermont Army National Guard. “This ceremony is an opportunity to thank him for his leadership and accomplishments, and to welcome Colonel Hopkins as the new commander. We look forward to his leadership as he prepares the brigade for its upcoming deployments.”

The 86th IBCT (MTN) is comprised of 3rd Battalion 172nd Infantry, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 1st Squadron 172nd Cavalry, and the 186th Brigade Support Battalion in Vermont, 1st Battalion 102nd Infantry in Connecticut, 1st Battalion 101 Field Artillery in Massachusetts (one battery in Vermont) and 1st Battalion 157 Infantry in Colorado. All of these battalions fall under the command of the 86th IBCT (MTN).

An estimated 1,000 Soldiers, mainly from the 86th IBCT (MTN), are scheduled to deploy in support of U.S. Central Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. African Command in 2021.

The ceremony will be livestreamed on the Vermont National Guard Facebook Page and on YouTube.