An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
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.

Vermont National Guard Logo News
Articles
News | June 29, 2022

15th Civil Support Team Hosts State Partnership Program Engagement

By Sgt. 1st Class Jason Alvarez Vermont National Guard Public Affairs

The Vermont National Guard’s 15th Civil Support Team hosted six Soldiers from North Macedonia for civil support training at Camp Johnson in Colchester, June 6 -11th.

The North Macedonia Army soldiers were from a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Battalion and came to Vermont to conduct exercises with the Vermont National Guard’s 15th CST.

The soldiers were observing the tactics, techniques, and procedures the 15th CST uses to support civilian authorities in the event of a disaster. That support can be advising on response measures, assisting with requests for additional assets, and providing immediate response to hazardous material releases that could result in catastrophic loss of life or property.

“The cross-training conducted was a joint entry with them, first one actually integrating with each other, very cool milestone, where we would do one part and they would take over for the other,” explained Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Smith, a recon non-commissioned officer with the 15th CST. “We do an initial reconnaissance of the target building to see what hazards/threats are present.”

The Soldiers were conducting lane training at Camp Johnson for chemical detection, assessing consequences of the incident, and advising civil authorities, which in this exercise was the Vermont State Police and Vermont Department of Health.

“After the recon team comes out and goes through decontamination, they meet with the sampling team, operations section and our science officer to determine what and where the sample team took samples from,” said Smith as he explained the next steps of their exercise. “We would also take duplicate samples for our science officer and medical NCO to run in the Analytical Laboratory System vehicle to get a presumptive analysis. We also discussed how they would improve our setup and methods.”

The Soldiers from North Macedonia had the opportunity to discuss with 15th CST’s civilian partners, the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Department of Health, about their relationships and how they support each other.
Capt. Dave Peterson, with the Vermont State Police explained to the soldiers that the 15th CST helps enhance and augment his team for the missions that they do.

The intent of this kind of exercise was to assist North Macedonia Soldiers as they look to create a similar CST style unit to work with their own civil authorities.

“Their procedures are very good,” said Smith talking about the North Macedonia soldiers. “They have a harder job than our civil support team, they have to support both the military and civilian agencies.”

This was one of the many exchanges the Vermont National Guard and North Macedonia perform every year.

“It’s always great hosting fellow Soldiers from North Macedonia,” said Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Vermont Adjutant General. “Our Civil Support Team and our partner Soldiers from North Macedonia always do a great job sharing their experience, so this training exchange was mutually beneficial. These events are really how we sustain our partnership.”

Vermont and North Macedonia have been partners since 1993 in the State Partnership Program (SPP), administered by the National Guard Bureau. The State Partnership Program facilitates engagements between militaries, governments, and promotes economic and social engagement.

National Guard News
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Cody Hallas, 133rd Contingency Response Team, builds an Igloo in Crystal City, Canada. Hallas attended a five-day field training exercise during the Canadian Air Operations Survival training course.
Minnesota Guardsmen Train in Canadian Arctic
By Tech. Sgt. Amy Lovren, | March 30, 2023
RESOLUTE BAY, Canada - Two members of the Minnesota Air National Guard’s 133rd Contingency Response Team (CRT) flew to Resolute Bay to train with the Canadian military on Arctic air operations survival.U.S. Air Force Chief...

Master Sgt. Christopher Sehy, a recruiter with the Utah Army National Guard, embraces his wife, Crystal, as he receives the Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Noncommissioned Officer of the Year award from Maj. Gen. John Andonie, left, deputy director of the Army National Guard, during the Director’s Strength Maintenance Awards and Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 23, 2023. The conference brings together Army Guard recruiting team chiefs and the top Army Guard recruiters for training sessions and networking opportunities to tackle the challenges of recruiting.
Army Guard Conference Highlights Recruiting Tips, Challenges
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy, | March 30, 2023
NEW ORLEANS – Seven Soldiers stood on stage at the award ceremony, waiting to hear who had taken top honors. A drum roll built suspense in the darkened room as audience members shifted in their seats. The drumming reached a...

Warrant Officer Catherine Trujillo, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 140th Aviation, in a UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopter at Army Aviation Sustainment Facility, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., March 28, 2023.
Washington National Guard Pilot Fulfills Dream to Fly
By Joseph Siemandel, | March 30, 2023
CAMP MURRAY, Wash. - Catherine Trujillo had always dreamed of flying helicopters. At the age of 35, she thought she had missed her chance.“Along the way in life, I put my family ahead of my career. But when my youngest...

Maj. Gen. Torrence Saxe, adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, pins the Alaska Heroism Medal on Cpl. Bruce Boolowon, the only surviving member of the June 22, 1955, rescue team March 28, 2023, in Gambell, Alaska. The Alaska Heroism Medal is the state’s highest award for valor during peacetime.
Alaska Army Guard ‘First Scouts’ Honored for 1955 Rescue
By Alan Brown and Balinda ONeal, | March 30, 2023
GAMBELL, Alaska – On June 22, 1955, two Russian MiG-15s from Siberia shot down a U.S. Navy P2V-5 Neptune plane flying a routine maritime patrol from Kodiak out over the Bering Sea. After it crashed in flames on St. Lawrence...

Service members from participating nations and members of the Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief Institute demonstrate a collapsed building rescue during Exercise Cobra Gold 2023 at the Disaster Relief Training Center in Chachoengsao province, Kingdom of Thailand, March 4, 2023. At the demonstration leaders from participating nations discussed how their nations can combine capabilities in response to regional crises.
Washington National Guard Shares Domestic Response Expertise
By Staff Sgt. Adeline Witherspoon, | March 30, 2023
RAYONG, Thailand - Members of the Washington National Guard and the Royal Thai Armed Forces participated in multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief training in Rayong Province Feb. 24 to March 3. The...