Editor’s note: “A ‘Top Gun’ culture pervades Vermont National Guard” is the first in a series of stories about allegations that male officials have mistreated women, have abused alcohol and have been given preferential treatment by superiors. Read Part 2: “Guard commander’s wings clipped after secret rendezvous” here, Part 3: “Africa, alcohol and the Afterburner Club” here, Part 4: “The Ghost Soldiers of the Vermont National Guard” here, Part 5: “Female Guard members claim barrage of harassment” here, Part 6 “Chaplain’s female assistant claims coercion” here, and Part 7: “Whistleblower says Guard retaliated against him” here.
[T]he storied history of the Vermont National Guard reaches back almost 250 years to the days of the Revolutionary War.
Back then, the militia was known as the Green Mountain Boys. Today, the members of the Vermont National Guard still proudly call themselves by that same name.
Their first leader was Ethan Allen, who spearheaded the successful 1775 campaign to capture Fort Ticonderoga. Today, Maj. Gen. Steven Cray leads the approximately 2,500 men and women in the Vermont Army National Guard and the 1,000 in the Vermont Air National Guard that comprise the Vermont National Guard.
Vermont Guard troops have played a key role abroad and at home. Its members have been deployed to the Middle East and Southeast Asia as part of the war on terror. In 2001, Vermont pilots secured the skies in New York City soon after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A decade later, Vermont soldiers helped reconstruct roads after the devastating floods of Tropical Storm Irene.
The Vermont National Guard has long commanded respect because of the sacrifices of its members. Even U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., an outspoken critic of military spending, steadfastly supports the Guard’s mission. Sanders, and Vermont’s leading politicians, have backed plans for Vermont to become the first Air Guard unit to base the next-generation F-35 fighter jet in 2019.
Earlier this year, VTDigger reported on allegations that Guard leaders, including Maj. Gen. Cray, had violated military ethics and regulations in the basing of the next-generation fighter jets. This followed a five-part VTDigger series on the impending basing of the jets. While the Air Force inspector general opened an investigation into Vermont Guard leaders, investigators did not interview key officials, and declined to bring charges.
A new six-month investigation by VTDigger has uncovered a “good ol’ boys club” at the Guard in which male officials receive preferential treatment, break rules, and abuse alcohol. Our reporting uncovered numerous allegations that the Guard has created a toxic environment for women who say they have been mistreated and passed up for promotions. We also spoke with a whistleblower who found the tables turned on him after investigating allegations of misconduct against a top leader in the organization.
VTDigger has reviewed hundreds of emails and official documents, and conducted interviews with more than 24 current and former Vermont National Guard members for a series of stories to be published this week. Sources requested anonymity for fear of reprisal or because they were not authorized to speak with the press. Even retired members raised concerns about punishment from the Guard, whose leaders can bring former airmen back inside the organization and levy penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The Guard’s response
For nearly a month, VTDigger has sought an interview from the leadership of the Vermont National Guard to answer questions, rebut allegations or comment on our reporting.
Editor Anne Galloway reached out to Maj. Gen. Cray on Oct. 31. The adjutant general said he would be willing to be interviewed and said he would get back to Galloway about when he would be available. Instead, the request was passed to 1st Lt. Mikel Arcovitch, who is in charge of public relations. On Nov. 1, Arcovitch sent an email saying Cray was “unavailable” for an interview that week and would be traveling the following week.
“Unfortunately Maj. Gen. Cray is unavailable for an interview — he is not refusing,” Arcovitch wrote. He insisted that VTDigger provide questions in writing by email.
Requests for an interview with Guard leaders on Nov. 14 were also rejected. A spokesperson requested that questions be submitted in writing, which VTDigger provided on Nov. 15.
In a written response, Arcovitch said the Guard treats all of its members “with dignity and respect,” does not have a culture of hard partying and drinking, and follows “a distinct process to hold those accountable when necessary or make adjustments to our processes.”
The Guard did not respond to questions about the alleged misconduct of individual members.
“Any information about personnel or administrative actions are not topics we are able to discuss,” Arcovitch wrote. He said the Guard follows “a repeatable, defendable, and transparent process for any investigation” and considers “all allegations against members of the Vermont National Guard and take them very seriously.”
During the reporting process, a Guard representative charged that VTDigger reporter Jasper Craven had acted improperly by contacting Guard members directly and not through the press office. On Sept. 14, Col. David Smith, the air unit’s commander, issued an internal email warning airmen of increased scrutiny by the media and telling them to not speak with reporters without prior notification to the press office. Smith told members “do not make any promises or agreements with media” and “never agree to an interview, including an ‘anonymous’ one, without contacting Wing Public Affairs.”
In an email sent to VTDigger staff, Arcovitch charged that Craven had been “misleading to the numerous service members he contacted.” In the email on Sept. 28, Arcovitch also announced that the Guard was removing VTDigger from its press list, citing “numerous unprofessional, and frankly, unethical acts.” He also accused the news organization of asking “very pointed questions,” specifically about the F-35 basing. “When provided responses, Mr. Craven has consistently misrepresented the information and clearly written toward a specific focus,” Arcovitch wrote.
“I am disappointed that it has come to this, but we will continue to share information with the public through our relationships with other media outlets across the state,” Arcovitch wrote in an email.
VTDigger remains off the official press list.
“There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of our work as journalists,” Galloway wrote in an email to Arcovitch on Oct. 2. “Our job is to hold officials, even the well-respected Vermont National Guard, to account to taxpayers and the public at large. We ask everyone pointed questions, as that is the role of reporters.”
A previous scandal
VTDigger’s series focuses largely on events of the past five years, but prior to that the Vermont National Guard had a well-publicized scandal that rocked the election for a new adjutant general.
When Cray became adjutant general, in 2013, an allegation of sexual assault torpedoed the nomination of the early frontrunner, retired Brig. Gen. Jonathan Farnham. That year, a former Guard soldier told lawmakers about a sexual assault she experienced.
The woman wrote that, while training for a new job in December 2007, she was sexually assaulted by an unnamed senior officer. Despite alerting two high-ranking Guard officials, she said leadership took no action or reported the incident to law-enforcement authorities. One of the leaders the woman said failed to act was Farnham, who, at the time, was gearing up for a bid to become adjutant general. Farnham categorically denied the allegations that he had not proactively responded to the woman’s allegation, but decided to drop out of the race, largely, he said, to avoid controversy.
In his stead, Cray was selected for the top post in March 2013. Vermont is the only state in the nation where the Legislature elects the National Guard’s adjutant general. The next election will be held during the 2019 legislative session.
The scandal spurred passage of a law that mandated the Vermont National Guard provide public annual reports on sexual assault, sexual harassment and instances of discrimination based on sexual orientation. Sources inside the Guard hailed the passage of the law, but said that gender discrimination remains an issue in the Guard, and that underreporting sexual harassment and violence is a major problem. Burlington Rep. Jean O’Sullivan, a Democrat who spearheaded the reporting bill, expressed confidence in Cray to VTDigger, but said the Guard needs to do more to help women feel accepted.
“I know in my heart of hearts that the reports don’t capture the workforce environment, what’s really happening on a day-to-day basis,” O’Sullivan said. “We are capturing some of the most serious incidents, when things go awry. But we aren’t getting the slight sexual harassment that happens all the time.”
“Stepping onto the base can feel like transporting to the 1950s,” O’Sullivan added.
During the 2018 legislative session, O’Sullivan introduced a bill that would require the Guard to issue annual reports on the recruitment, retention and promotion of women. The bill passed the House, but stalled in the Senate. O’Sullivan also sought to bring more oversight and accountability to the election process of the adjutant general. Her efforts last session were also rejected by the Senate.
After the sexual reporting law was passed, in 2014, Cray told lawmakers that his efforts to curb sexual harassment and assault were focused chiefly on “education and awareness.” The Guard has also taken steps to improve its recovery services for survivors and standardize the judicial response to allegations. Still, Cray cautioned the public in 2014 that it would take time to fully remediate such long-standing issues.
“You can’t change a culture overnight,” he said.
Help us investigate: Do you know what’s going on at the Vermont National Guard? Contact Jasper Craven at 802-274-0365 or jclarkcraven@gmail.com
