This month has put “Always Ready, Always There!” to the test for the Vermont National Guard.
After the riots Jan. 6 at the Capitol as Congress was in the process of confirming electoral votes for President Biden, about 100 soldiers from the Vermont National Guard were deployed to Washington, D.C., to aid security efforts ahead of the inauguration.
Those Guard members were expected to return last weekend, but received emergency orders to stay in the Capitol through the end of March. About 30 soldiers did return to Vermont on Sunday, and 30 replacements were deployed Tuesday morning.
Also on Tuesday, about 40 soldiers left for a long-planned one-year deployment to Europe. They are part of a larger group of 950 soldiers and 80 airmen — the largest delegation from Vermont since 2010, when Guardsmen were sent primarily to Afghanistan — to be deployed overseas in groups through June.
Officials were vague about why 100 members of the Vermont National Guard, and as many as 5,000 Guardsmen overall, were asked to stay in Washington.
“Their inauguration mission was complete, so I’m not exactly sure what their new detail is going to be yet, or if [federal agents] can even tell us what it’s going to be,” said Capt. Mike Arcovitch, spokesperson for the National Guard. “But they’re going to continue security operations in Washington, D.C., as a wholesale talking point.”
Politico reports federal officials recommended a force of 5,000 National Guard soldiers in the Capitol amid security concerns over the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., will preside over the trial, which begins Feb. 9.
In a memo signed by the D.C. National Guard chief, Maj. Gen. William Walker specifically cites potential “civil disturbance.”
Vermont National Guard leaders could only speculate what the soldiers were doing on a day-to-day basis, saying the situation remains fluid.
One concern is that Covid-19 is spreading at near peak levels, and the close proximity inherent in Guard duties creates conditions for viral transmission. Last Thursday, 5,000 troops were forced to cram into a nearby parking garage, with just one bathroom available, after being told to vacate the Dirksen Senate Office building.
Some mitigation measures are in place, with Guard members directed to take rest breaks outdoors and to quarantine after a positive test in hotel rooms away from the rest of the unit. But it isn’t clear how often soldiers are being tested.
Arcovitch said that there are no active cases among the Vermont National Guard soldiers in Washington, and all 30 who came home during the weekend tested negative.
“Our soldiers’ safety and well-being is always at the top of our priority list,” said Col. Justin Davis, operations officer for the Vermont National Guard, in a statement. “The needs of our soldiers are being met and leaders on the ground report that conditions are comfortable, and morale is high.”
Another 40 Vermont guardsmen left the state early Tuesday, headed for Europe by way of Fort Bliss, Texas.
They’re the first unit, or “task force,” of 950 soldiers who will deploy in the next six months to stations across the world. As in Washington, details regarding the specific tasks assigned to the Vermont Guardsmen are scarce. The soldiers who left today are reported to be from the 172nd Law Enforcement Detachment and will assist with civilian law enforcement at U.S. European Command.
The mountain battalion will follow in February, with task forces and headquarters personnel to join later, and 80 airmen will be deployed in addition to the 950 soldiers.
Task Force Avalanche, mostly soldiers from Vermont’s infantry battalion, will be deployed to U.S. Central Command in the next few weeks. The command’s area of responsibility includes the Middle East, Egypt and parts of Central and South Asia.
In the meantime, Vermont’s Family Readiness Program is prepared to assist families while loved ones serve abroad.
