Articles
Photo of fire fighters from the Vermont National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing engaging in an aircraft fire during an exercise in New London, North Carolina.

June 26, 2026

Training with Fire

New London, N.C. — In an era where technology has transformed the way people learn, work, and connect, some skills are still best learned the old fashioned way: face to face and hands on. For firefighters assigned to the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, this meant traveling to North Carolina over the spring to train on live jet fuel fires. This training brought a level of realism many of them had never experienced before despite years of protecting aircraft at the Burlington International Airport and surrounding communities.

Photo of U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matthew Brown, left, the director of the joint staff, chief of staff, Army, Vermont National Guard, checking his shot placement with U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Trey Lytle, right, a combat arms instructor assigned to the 158th Security Forces Squadron, while qualifying on his weapon at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont.

June 23, 2026

Locked and Loaded

Jericho, Vt. — Combat Arms Instructors from both the Vermont Air and Army Guard went down the line, confirming each weapon was on safe. Once all weapons were safely holstered, an instructor gave the green light to head down range to check shot placement and receive feedback.

Photo of Brooke Adams, daughter of a currently deployed service member, delivering remarks during a Memorial Day ceremony in Milton, Vt., May 25, 2026.

May 25, 2026

158th Fighter Wing Family Continues Memorial Day Tradition During Deployment

Milton, Vt. — Every Memorial Day, the Milton Fire Station usually echoes with the voice of Darren Adams, a member of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing, as he delivers the community's annual remarks. But this year, with her father deployed overseas to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), a new voice stepped up to the podium: his daughter, Brooke.

May 19, 2026

From Armor Officer to Educator: Retired Lt. Col. Steven Gagner reflects on service

For retired Lt. Col. Steven Gagner, leadership has never been confined to a battlefield, classroom or boardroom. Instead, it has been a lifelong pursuit shaped by service, education and a commitment to helping others grow.

May 2, 2026

Engineers Build for the Future While Honoring the Past at Centennial Alliance 2026

Marking a century of military training and innovation, leaders of the Vermont Army National Guard and Ethan Allen Firing Range, directed an ambitious effort to blend history, modernization, and hands-on engineer training through Task Force Centennial Alliance 2026.

May 2, 2026

Legacy of the Ethan Allen Firing Range - Centennial Alliance

Established in 1926 as a modest training ground for Vermont’s Citizen-Soldiers, the Ethan Allen Firing Range has grown into one of the premier military training sites in the northeastern United States, marking a century of readiness, resilience and evolution with the completion of Centennial Alliance 2026 on April 24, 2026.

May 2, 2026

181st Engineers Participate in Centennial Alliance

Soldiers assigned to the 181st Engineer Vertical Construction Company, Massachusetts National Guard put their skills to work at Range 6-3 on the Ethan Allen Firing Range, constructing a pole barn as part of exercise Centennial Alliance 2026.

Photo of a U.S. Air Force EB-57s, assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard, waiting on the runway in South Burlington, Vermont. The photo is used to provide historical context to the story, but does not feature the pilots described in the story.

May 1, 2026

Remembering the Crew of 52-1571

Vermont Air National Guard — Charles W. Diggle III and Bertrand White were young officers with the Vermont Air National Guard, earning their place in the demanding profession of Air Force pilots, where precision is routine, and risk is never far away.

May 1, 2026

HQDA Safety Streamer for the 15th Civil Support Team

The 15th Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction) of the Vermont Army National Guard was presented the Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) Safety Streamer at the Army Aviation Support Facility, in South Burlington, Vermont, on May 1st, 2026, during a formal ceremony attended by Major General Henry "Hank" Harder Jr., The Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard, and Brigadier General Matthew M. Brown, Director of the Joint Staff.

A photo of Kaitlyn Schoemes, a student at Northwestern Technical Center, putting her fire gear on during a SkillsUSA competition at the Vermont Air National Guard base in South Burlington, VT, April 8, 2026.

April 27, 2026

Local Students take on SkillsUSA Challenge

Vermont Air National Guard Base — Under the watchful eye of a Vermont Air National Guard assistant fire chief, he asks a student to explain how they would treat a patient with an object protruding from their eye, one of many high-pressure scenarios during the SkillsUSA competition.

The official logo of the Vermont National Guard.

TAG's State of the Guard 2026

Note: the above YouTube video link may not work on all government computers. 

Green Mountain Guard Newsletter Archive

National Guard News
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Charles Skinner, a MQ-9 sensor operator assigned to the 108th Attack Squadron, 174th Attack Wing, operates an MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft from Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, July 9, 2026, during search and rescue operations over Lake Erie for a missing boater. The 174th Attack Wing employed the MQ-9's airborne sensors to support search efforts and assist agencies working to locate the missing boater. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander Rector.
New York Guard Airmen Recognized for Search and Rescue Efforts
By Senior Airman Liam Eveleigh, | Aug. 13, 2026
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – New York Air National Guardsmen of the 174th Attack Wing were recognized by the commander of Coast Guard Sector Great Lakes for their efforts to find a missing boater in Lake Erie using their MQ-9 remotely...
Members of the Colorado Army National Guard’s 220th Military Police Company support the Pueblo County Sheriff’s office, managing traffic control points for road closures and evacuated areas near the Aspen Acres Fire, Pueblo, Colorado, July 9, 2026. More than 80 service members were activated after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency and authorized the Colorado National Guard to mobilize in support of the fire response. At the time, the Aspen Acres Fire was the largest wildfire in the state, having burnt more than 100,000 acres. Photo by Staff Sgt. Josiah Pugh.
Colorado Guard Assists With Aspen Acres Fire
By Staff Sgt. Josiah Pugh, | Aug. 13, 2026
PUEBLO, Colo. – Destructive wildfires threatened Colorado communities during the summer of 2026, resulting in the activation of the Colorado Army National Guard to provide critical, targeted support on the ground.Following an...
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tessah Satterfield, an Arkansas National Guard 188th Intelligence Support Squadron aviation resource manager, recently deployed to Germany for a temporary duty, or TDY, assignment to provide support to the 693rd Wing at Ramstein Air Base. Because of the 693rd’s continuous rotation of personnel, this TDY proved beneficial to both the 188th and the 693rd by providing an opportunity to share expertise in a practical and classroom setting, assist in hands-on fiber architecture and maintenance operations and bolster mission readiness by providing critical deployment experience for the 188th and enhancing the skillset of both groups. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Patricia Teare.
Arkansas Guard Airmen Strengthen Readiness With Integration Training
By Tech. Sgt. Patricia Teare, | Aug. 12, 2026
EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark. – Seventeen Airmen from the Arkansas National Guard’s 188th Intelligence Support Squadron, or ISS, recently returned from their annual training at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, conducting...
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