Colchester, Vt. –
Col. Tracey Poirier will become the first female promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in the history of the Vermont Army National Guard during a ceremony at Camp Johnson on Wednesday, July 26th at 2:00 p.m.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, Vermont’s Adjutant General, will preside over the event.
“This is a historic moment for our Guard, and I couldn’t be more proud to have the honor of promoting Col. Poirier,” said Knight. “She is truly a tremendous person and remarkably talented officer. Tracey has certainly earned this promotion,” said Knight.
In April of 2021, the Vermont Army National Guard became the first state to meet the requirement to allow women to serve in every job in the military, including combat arms positions. Occupational specialties like infantry and cavalry scout had previously been barred from women.
“In the midst of all the efforts the Vermont National Guard is putting into the recovery from the recent flooding, it is nice to remember how far we’ve come as an organization,” said Poirier. “I would never have dreamed of advancing to the General Officer ranks when I first joined the military more than 30 years ago. I’m not sure how many 17-year-old Privates could, but I hope that young people today regardless of gender, background or lifestyle can see themselves in my shoes thirty years in the future,” said Poirier.
Col. Poirier enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1991, and later earned a Marine Corps Scholarship to attend Norwich University where she graduated and earned her commission in 1996. She went on to complete her graduate education at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar earning two master’s degrees. Following her active service, Col. Poirier joined the Vermont Army National Guard in 2006 where she has served in many roles since. You can view the rest of her bio here: https://vt.public.ng.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Bio-Article-View/Article/2277840/colonel-tracey-poirier/