An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Articles
News | Jan. 26, 2021

172nd Law Enforcement Detachment departs to support Europe mission

By Don Branum Vermont National Guard Public Affairs

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont  –  

The 172nd Law Enforcement Detachment departed from Burlington International Airport Jan. 26 for Fort Bliss, Texas, as the first step of their deployment in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel under U.S. European Command.

During a sendoff ceremony Jan. 25, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Vermont’s adjutant general, assured the detachment’s Soldiers that the Guard and the state would take care of their families while they support the nation.

“If it weren’t for a recent COVID-19 exposure, I’d be proudly standing with you today and giving you the sendoff you deserve,” Scott said via a prerecorded video. “I’m sure it’s not easy leaving your family and friends, especially in the middle of a pandemic that’s completely changed our lives over the past year. I can assure you, while you do your part to keep us safe, we’ll continue to do ours by supporting and protecting your families while you’re away.”

Knight echoed the governor’s remarks.

“Just know that we’re here for you. We’ve got resources,” Knight said, referring to Vermont National Guard Family Programs. “We’ll be here when you need us, so don’t hesitate to call.”

As Soldiers unloaded from their bus and checked their bags at the airport Jan. 26, some took a few private moments to say goodbye to their families.

“I’m ready to go, but I’m going to miss my kids,” Sgt. 1st Class Charlie Winn, the detachment first sergeant, told local TV news reporters. Gesturing to his children, he added, “I’m hoping this one is good, that this one does her schoolwork, and that that one doesn’t get bigger than me before I get home.”

The detachment is scheduled to return from its deployment in early 2022.

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
Sgt. 1st Class Jose Morales, left, and Sgt. Stephannie LaCasse, both flight medics with the Massachusetts National Guard Detachment 1, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion, use an artificial manual breathing unit on a medical simulation mannequin in the Boston MedFlight simulation training center at their Bedford, Massachusetts headquarters, July 17, 2026. The training is part of a critical care training course. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton.
Massachusetts Guard Flight Medics Strengthen Skills
By Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton, | July 27, 2026
BEDFORD, Mass. – Soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard’s Detachment 1, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, General Support Aviation Battalion, recently spent two weeks training with flight paramedics...
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Daniel Saldivar, the alternate emergency manager and noncommissioned officer in charge of the Emergency Management Flight assigned to the 151st Wing, Utah Air National Guard, uses a Joint Chemical Agent Detector to assess a potential hazard during Exercise Serow Samurai at Misawa Air Base, Japan, July 20, 2026. The exercise uses a hub-and-spoke model, with the Emergency Operations Center CBRN Control Center managing the common operating picture while a four-person response team conducts dismounted operations and real-time reporting in the field. Photo by Senior Airman Kyle Blackham.
Air Guardsmen Strengthen Emergency Response in Exercise Serow Samurai
By Senior Airman Kyle Blackham, | July 27, 2026
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan – Emergency management Airmen from five Air National Guard units completed Exercise Serow Samurai, a seven-day deployment for training at Misawa Air Base, Japan, focused on chemical, biological,...
From left, Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Stubbs, director of the Army National Guard, and Col. Jonathan M. Stewart, assistant adjutant general for Army for the Ohio National Guard, listens to a brief from Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Strausbaugh, 1st Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment command sergeant major, during a visit, as part of Combat Readiness Exercise, or CRX, 26-01 at Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center in Grayling, Michigan, July 21, 2026. The CRX replaces the traditional 21-day exportable combat training capability, or XCTC, model with a focused 15-day training cycle that increases efficiency without sacrificing readiness. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Moeger.
37th Infantry Brigade Team Leads the Way in First Army National Guard Combat Readiness Exercise
By Maj. Cibeles Ramirez-Rodriguez, | July 27, 2026
GRAYLING, Mich. – More than 3,000 U.S. and partner-nation service members participated in the first Army National Guard Combat Readiness Exercise, testing the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in a realistic, multi-echelon...
More