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 | March 1, 2021

Special emphasis program managers discuss Black History Month, inclusion

By Josh T. Cohen

As Black History Month draws to a close, Vermont Guard Special Emphasis Program Managers Army Staff Sgt. Selena Correa and Air Force Tech Sgt. Kirby Addison joined Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight for an additional discussion on the month’s events following a Feb. 19 “TAG's Corner.”

Highlighting ideas on increasing diversity and inclusion throughout the Guard, Addison said progress and lasting change are necessary “in order to be the best nation we can be.” Addison said that support from all command levels is essential to achieving these goals.

Black history as taught in the United States should be revised, Addison said, moving beyond well-known events and personalities to the more obscure. “Not everyone can be a Martin Luther King.” The Air Guard special emphasis program manager said Black History Month should recognize past events and actions that should not be repeated.

Correa said that “leaders need to talk with people who don’t look like them...you want to have that uncomfortable conversation.” For Correa, Black History Month is a time to reflect and celebrate, “a simple reminder of everything my ancestors went through.” Correa said sacrifices made in the past due to racial injustice should not be forgotten. "Because of their sacrifices I am able to serve the country I love as an equal, not as three-fifths of a person," she added.

Vermont’s adjutant general agreed, stating there is a need to “get the caustic influences out.” Knight said in order to change a culture, leaders must change the climate. To accomplish such a sweeping change he added, “Good ideas don’t have a rank.”

“Diversity gives us something our adversaries don’t have,” Knight added.

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

National Guard News
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Lynchburg-based Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct sling load training Dec. 7, 2024, at Blackstone Army Airfield in Blackstone, Virginia.
Red Dragons Hone Sling Load Skills During Drill Weekend
By Staff Sgt. Marc Heaton, | Dec. 23, 2024
BLACKSTONE, Va.  – Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, conducted sling load training Dec. 7at Blackstone Army...

A New York Air National Guardsman assigned to the  Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, New York, prepares for NORAD Santa tracking operations. The annual NORAD Tracks Santa operation traces St. Nick's path around the world on Dec. 24.
New York Air National Guard Helps Track Santa Claus
By Timothy Jones, | Dec. 23, 2024
ROME, N.Y. – The North American Aerospace Defense Command defends the North American airspace 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.On Dec. 24, NORAD will add one more element to its mission list as it tracks...

Master Sgt. Dustin Turner, right, an explosive ordnance disposal technician assigned to the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Civil Engineer Squadron, examines soil for osseous material in a rice paddy in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam, in June 2023. Turner was part of a U.S.-led team that recovered the remains of two U.S. Marine pilots who were lost in combat over Vietnam in December 1972.
Kentucky Guardsman Helps Recover Missing Aircrew in Vietnam
By Airman 1st Class Annaliese Billings, | Dec. 23, 2024
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A Kentucky Air National Guardsman was instrumental in helping locate the remains of two U.S. Marine aviators lost in combat over Vietnam a half-century ago.Master Sgt. Dustin Turner, an explosive ordnance...