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Category: State Partnership Program

State Partnership Program Reaffirmation Signing Ceremony

June 7, 2023

Delegation from North Macedonia arrives, visits Ethan Allen Firing Range

Colchester, Vt. — The Vermont National Guard is hosting a delegation from North Macedonia including including the Minister of Defense, Slavjanka Petrovska, and the Chief of Defense, Lt. Gen. Vasko Gjurchinovski.

Austrian Ambassador to the U.S. Petra Schneebauer (center) hosted (from left) Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, U.S. Ambassador to Austria Victoria Kennedy, Vermont Secretary of Commerce Lindsay Kurrle and Austrian Defense Attache Maj. Gen. Norbert Huber during the SelectUSA Investment Summit. (Photo by Lina Linortner)

May 2, 2023

Austrian Ambassador Hosts Vermont Delegation at Investment Summit

Colchester, Vt. — Austrian Ambassador to the United States Petra Schneebauer hosted U.S. partners including U.S. Ambassador to Austria Victoria Kennedy, the Adjutant General of Vermont Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight and Vermont Secretary of Commerce Lindsay Kurrle during this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit.

President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal hosts Army Maj. Gen. Greg Knight

Dec. 16, 2022

Vermont Adjutant General meets with President of State Partner Senegal

Colchester, Vt — Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, adjutant general of Vermont, and a delegation of the Vermont National Guard met with the President of Senegal and the African Union in Washington D.C. on December 12.

Lt. Col. Chris Gookin receives an Order of Military Medical Merit award from Col. George Horsley, Massachusetts Army National Guard state surgeon, at Camp Johnson, Vermont, on Aug. 4, 2022. Gookin was cited for his accomplishments in establishing 98 percent medical readiness for the Vermont Army National Guard and for his work with state partners Senegal and North Macedonia. (courtesy photo)

Aug. 29, 2022

Vermont deputy state surgeon receives Order of Military Medical Merit

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — The former deputy state surgeon for the Vermont Army National Guard’s Medical Readiness Detachment received the Order of Military Medical Merit in August.

The Vermont Army National Guard's C-Co. 186th BSB, (Medical) 86th IBCT (Mountain) conduct annual training with State Partner North Macedonia at the Sustainment Center on Camp Dodge, Iowa July 31st-August 13. North Macedonia and Vermont have been partners in the State Partnership Program since 1993. (U.S. Army National Guard courtesy photo)

Aug. 29, 2022

Soldiers from North Macedonia Train at Camp Dodge with their State Partner Vermont

CAMP DODGE, Iowa — The mission of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program is, “to support the security cooperation objectives of the United States.” The achievement of that goal brings many follow-on effects that benefit both partners in the SPP relationship.

Senegal Air Force Capt. Kana Ndiaye, a helicopter pilot, briefs Vermont Army National Guard Blackhawk pilots during a State Partnership Program visit to the Army Aviation Flight Facility, Burlington, Vermont. The Vermont Army National Guard hosted three Senegalese Air Force pilots July 17-22, 2022, to conduct safety, operations, and maintenance cross-training with VTARNG’s Aviators during the trip. The Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program pairs U.S. state National Guard units with other nations to facilitate international civil-military relationships. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jason Alvarez)

Aug. 19, 2022

Vt. Army National Guard hosts State Partner Senegal

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vermont — The Vermont Army National Guard hosted two Senegalese Air Force pilots and a flight engineer to conduct safety, operations, and maintenance cross-training with the VTARNG’s Aviators during a State Partnership Program visit, July 17-22.

Left to right, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, Vermont’s adjutant general; U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau; Klaudia Tanner, federal minister of defense of the Republic of Austria; U.S. Ambassador to Austria Victoria Kennedy; Lt. Gen. Erich Csitkovits, training director and commandant, National Defence Academy, sign letters of intent between the Vermont National Guard and Republic of Austria July 19, 2022, Vienna, Austria. The Vermont National Guard also has partnerships with North Macedonia, since 1993, and Senegal, since 2008.

July 19, 2022

Vermont National Guard Signs Letter of Intent with Republic of Austria

VIENNA — With a stroke of the pen, the Vermont National Guard and Republic of Austria’s letter of intent formalizing their partnership under the State Partnership Program is official. On July 19, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gregory Knight, Vermont’s adjutant general; U.S. Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief, National Guard Bureau; Klaudia Tanner, federal minister of defense of the Republic of Austria; and Lt. Gen. Erich Csitkovits, training director and commandant, National Defence Academy, performed a signing ceremony in Vienna to formalize the relationship between the Republic of Austria and Vermont.

A group photo of the 15th Civil Support Team, Vermont National Guard, and a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear battalion from the North Macedonia Army during a State Partnership Program engagement in Colchester, Vt., June 6-11, 2022. The engagement focused on working with civil authorities in the event of a disaster.

June 29, 2022

15th Civil Support Team Hosts State Partnership Program Engagement

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — 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.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Phil Vietje, an aviation instructor with C Company, 3-126th Aviation (Air Ambulance), Vermont Army National Guard, shows Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner around a UH-72 Lakota helicopter at the VTARNG Army Aviation Support Facility in South Burlington, Vermont, on May 12, 2022. The Vermont National Guard and Austrian Defence Ministry signed a State Partnership Program agreement May 11, 2022, to strengthen interagency cooperation and mutually improve in cyber defense, information operations, military mountaineering, humanitarian and disaster assistance response, and other areas. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Don Branum)

May 20, 2022

Vermont Guard demonstrates rotary-wing capabilities for Austrian delegation

CAMP JOHNSON, Vermont — On May 12, a day after representatives from the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria formally entered into a State Partner Program, Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner and staff were provided with rotary-wing flight demonstrations at Camp Johnson, the Vermont National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Colchester, Vermont.

Leaders from Vermont, the Vermont National Guard, and the Republic of Austria gathered in Montpelier for a signing ceremony officially beginning a partnership between the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria through National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. The Republic of Austria is the third partner nation with the Vermont National Guard through the State Partnership Program. Vermont also works and trains with North Macedonia and Senegal.

May 11, 2022

Vermont National Guard, Austria formally recognize partnership

MONTPELIER, Vermont — Representatives from the Vermont National Guard and the Republic of Austria formally entered into a partnership May 11 at 2 p.m. Though work between the Austrian military and the Vermont National Guard is not new, the ceremony marked the formal beginning under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard 2026

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Green Mountain Guard Newsletter Archive

National Guard News
Indiana National Guard Sgt. Brendan Bartlett, a cyber specialist with the 147th Cyber Warfare Company, and Spc. Caleb Chambers, assigned to 1st Battalion, 151st Infantry Regiment, pose with their award for winning the highest overall combined score alongside Command Sgt. Maj. Mathew Hopkins, Michigan Army National Guard senior enlisted leader, after completing the Region IV Best Warrior Competition at Fort Custer Training Center, Michigan, May 2, 2026. The competition featured competitors from Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Photo by Staff Sgt. Hector Tinoco.
Indiana Guard Soldiers Score Well at Regional Competition
By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry, | May 7, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS – Two Indiana National Guard Soldiers received top honors at a Midwest regional competition held at Fort Custer Training Center, near Augusta, Michigan, April 30-May 2.Sgt. Brendan Bartlett and Spc. Caleb...
Spc. Brendan Hays and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Miller of the 617th Military Police Company escort the winner's trophy onto the Paddock at the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, May 2, 2026. These Soldiers of the 617th Military Police Company displayed the trophy on the Paddock to guests and viewers as the trophy was captured for live televised broadcast. Photo by Staff Sgt. Caleb Sooter.
Kentucky Guard Protects Kentucky Derby Trophy
By Staff Sgt. Caleb Sooter, | May 7, 2026
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On the evening of May 2, the trophy felt heavier in Staff Sgt. Jonathan Miller’s memory than it did in his hands.He recalled the 150th Kentucky Derby two years prior, when he crossed the turf at Churchill...
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Gene Enriquez, State Partnership Program director with the Vermont National Guard, greets Dr. Amadou Mbaye Diouf, chief physician, during a key leader engagement in Thiès, Senegal, May 4, 2026, to discuss regional healthcare priorities and inform planning for a 2027 medical readiness exercise. The Vermont National Guard has partnered with Senegal through the Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program since 2008, strengthening long-term military and civil cooperation through engagements focused on shared readiness and capacity building. African Lion 2026, or AL26, is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, or SETAF-AF, from April 20 to May 8, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Christy L. Sherman.
Vermont National Guard Conducts Key Leader Engagements With Senegal Partners Ahead of 2027 Medical Exercise
By Sgt. 1st Class Christy Sherman, | May 7, 2026
THIÈS, Senegal – Vermont National Guard leaders conducted a pre-deployment site survey in Thiès, Senegal, May 3-4, to assess regional healthcare capabilities and coordinate planning for Medical Readiness Exercise 2027, or...
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