Maj. Gen. Steven A. Cray, the state’s adjutant general, expressed pride in the Vermont National Guard members.
“The men and women of the Vermont Air National Guard have shown how well they are trained, prepared, and ready whenever the state or the nation calls on us,” he said Thursday. “It is no small feat to send approximately 300 airmen on a deployment with such short notice and is a testament to the hard work of these men and women.”
Photos showed Republican Gov.-elect Phil Scott shaking Guard members’ hands as they boarded a plane Wednesday.
The deployment is expected to last roughly three months, meaning the troops will miss the holiday season in Vermont with their families.
Cray said the deployment is “a testament to the strength of our military family, who no doubt have heavy hearts due to a deployment over the holiday season.”
When the deployment was announced in late November, Vermont’s top politicians also thanked the Guard members for sacrificing during the holiday season to protect America.
The last deployment was in 2015 when several hundred Guard members were sent overseas for three months, according to Capt. Dyana Allen. The entire Vermont Guard — Air and Army — has about 3,800 members. Allen said the deployment was done on “short notice,” adding that troops are usually given months to prepare.
In addition to those heading overseas soon, about 100 airmen are serving in various locations around the world, Allen added.
Col. Patrick Guinee, commander of the 158th Fighter Wing, reflected on the importance of the Vermont National Guard in American history.
“The Green Mountain Boys have been answering the call to action for the past 241 years,” Guinee said in a statement Thursday. “Defending our state and nation is what we do.”
