Articles
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.

A photo of U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Kelly Burton visiting a local high school in Kenya with Army Civil Affairs personnel.

April 22, 2026

Finance in the Field

Vermont Air National Guard Base — For many in the Air National Guard, deployments force you to apply your skills in real-world, high-stakes environments while opening doors to parts of your career field you simply cannot experience at home. For one Vermont Airman, convoying through the Kenyan jungle with known enemy presence was an experience like no other.

April 20, 2026

Centennial Alliance: 100 Years of The Ethan Allen Firing Range

Centennial Alliance: Engineers from multiple Vermont National Guard units completed a series of major infrastructure improvement projects at The Ethan Allen Firing Range, marking the installation’s 100th anniversary and a significant modernization effort to enhance training capabilities.

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
An Idaho Army National Guard UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter crew conducts water bucket training near Lucky Peak Reservoir May 20, 2026. Idaho National Guard aviation crews conducted the training alongside Idaho Department of Lands personnel May 19-20 in preparation for the 2026 fire season. The Idaho Department of Lands experts employed reflective panels to simulate active fires and communicated with Army National Guard pilots to maximize the efficiency of each 530-gallon bucket of water dropped. In addition to the fleet of Black Hawks and crews standing by to support seasonal wildland firefighting efforts, Orchard Fire and Emergency Services is providing initial and refresher Wildland Firefighter 2 training to Idaho National Guard members. To date, more than 250 Idaho Guardsmen have completed the qualification course, ensuring they are ready to work fire lines in support ground operations. Photo by Mike Freeman.
Idaho Guard Trains for Wildfire Response
By Mike Freeman, | June 1, 2026
BOISE, Idaho – Idaho National Guard aviation crews conducted water bucket training alongside Idaho Department of Lands personnel May 19-20 in preparation for the 2026 fire season.The Idaho Department of Lands experts employed...
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Company B, 148th Brigade Support Battalion, 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Georgia Army National Guard, conduct preliminary marksmanship instruction with an M240B machine gun during the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team annual training at Fort Stewart, Georgia, May 30, 2026. Soldiers assigned to the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team conduct annual training to sharpen warfighting skills and strengthen unit readiness through realistic, mission-focused training. This training period reinforces the brigade’s commitment to developing capable leaders, building cohesive teams and maintaining the highest standards of professionalism. Photo by Sgt. Jacob Tucker.
Georgia Guard Brigade Strengthens Readiness, Warfighting Skills
By Spc. Ayanna Tillman, | June 1, 2026
FORT STEWART, Ga. – The 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, comprising more than 4,000 Soldiers across the Georgia Army National Guard, is conducting annual training at Fort Stewart, Georgia, as the brigade prepares for its...
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the Hawaiʻi National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package assist the city and county of Honolulu first responders in search and recovery efforts during flood impacted zones in Waialua, Hawaiʻi, March 21, 2026. Gov. Josh Green activated the Hawaiʻi National Guard to assist in recovery efforts following record rainfall and flash flooding caused by a Kona Low weather system. Photo by Spc. Daniel Barcenas.
Hawaiʻi Guard Concludes Statewide Storm Response
By Rachel Blaire, | June 1, 2026
OAHU, Hawaiʻi – The Hawaiʻi National Guard concluded a multi-month, statewide response at the end of May after supporting communities affected by a series of powerful Kona Low storms and severe weather events in March and...
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