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 | Feb. 16, 2022

Vermont Guard shares communication strategy with state partner

By Sgt. Gloria Kamencik 172nd Public Affairs Detachment

Soldiers from the Vermont Army National Guard led a crisis communication workshop at the Army Home in Skopje, North Macedonia, Feb. 8-10.

“Crisis communication is about responding quickly with as much information as possible, as frequently as possible,” said U.S. Army Capt. Mike Arcovitch, public affairs officer for the Vermont National Guard. “A major challenge with crisis communication is knowing what is and what is not releasable public information.”

The three-day workshop focused on some basics of U.S. military public affairs, public speaking, strategic communication, and examples of crisis response. One of the main takeaways was the importance of presence, planning and practice.

“Presence is establishing yourself among specified publics. The first step to being an effective communicator is building and maintaining relationships across a variety of audiences,” said Arcovitch. “Trust is of paramount importance when you need to put information out rapidly — or any time, for that matter. The rules and culture is different in North Macedonia, but the importance of having an established and trusted presence remains critically important.”

Civilian organizations and the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia attended the event. The workshop also addressed interagency cooperation and examples in Vermont when multiple agencies had to work together.

“It was great to have Mike here to share his experiences from Vermont and talk about what they do,” said Gavro Markoski, a civilian public affairs professional from Skopje. “Gloria did a great job asking us questions like a reporter and videoing us. Overall, it was very enjoyable and helpful.”

The Vermont National Guard and North Macedonia have been partners under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program since 1993 and will continue this relationship with cooperative events and training.

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
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Blayne Flickinger, a medical technician assigned to the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th medical group, takes the vitals of a local resident during the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Program: Operations Healthy Tennessee at Rhea County Middle School, Evensville, Tenn., July 10, 2025. The IRT Program is a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiative that provides real-world, hands-on training opportunities for military units while delivering critical services to American communities in need.
Ohio Guard Participates in Operation Healthy Tennessee 2025
By Staff Sgt. Sarah Stalder Lundgren, | July 16, 2025
EVENSVILLE, Tenn. - Ohio Air National Guard members arrived July 9 in Tennessee to participate in Operation Healthy Tennessee, an initiative that offers the public no-cost medical, dental, optometry, nutritional education,...

U.S. Army Soldiers, assigned to 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 40th Infantry Division, California Army National Guard, conduct civil disturbance operations (CDO) training at Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif., June 11, 2025. California Army National Guardsmen in their Title 10 duty status train for crowd control and de-escalation techniques in alignment with legal rules for using the appropriate level of force. U.S. Northern Command is supporting federal agencies by providing military forces to protect federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area. On June 7, the Secretary of Defense directed USNORTHCOM to establish Task Force 51 to oversee Title 10 forces supporting this mission.
California Guard's 79th IBCT Activated as Brigade for First Time in History
By Staff Sgt. Amber Peck, | July 16, 2025
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – In a historic first, more than 2,000 Soldiers from the California Army National Guard’s 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were mobilized under Title 10 federal orders to support federal agencies in the...

A UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the New York National Guard's A Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, prepares to lift an M-119 howitzer belonging to the 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery during a training exercise at Fort Drum, New York, June 8, 2025. The 258th Field Artillery's C Battery will be part of a 246-Soldier New York Army National Guard contingent serving as the Opposing Force, or OPFOR, at the National Training Center from July 25 to August 3.
NY Army Guard Serves as Opposing Force at Training Center
By Eric Durr, | July 15, 2025
LATHAM, N.Y.  –  Two hundred forty-six New York Army National Guard Soldiers will go to Fort Irwin, California, the home of the Army’s National Training Center in the Mojave Desert, starting July 15.The Soldiers will serve...