The Vermont National Guard is assisting in efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan.
Guard members from a small contingent from the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain) and 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) are supporting security operations at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport, according to a press release from the Guard. They arrived earlier this month.
Others are supporting Afghan special immigration visa holders at U.S. Central Command locations, including Qatar, according to Maj. Scott Detweiler, Vermont National Guard public affairs officer. Those Vermonters are also with units of the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry (Mountain).
“Our soldiers from Task Force Avalanche trained and deployed to support their combatant commander in whatever mission they might be assigned,” said Maj. Gen. Greg Knight, who, as Vermont adjutant general, heads the Vermont National Guard. “While we can’t always predict exactly what that mission may look like, I know our soldiers are ready and will excel in this important humanitarian mission.”
Task Force Avalanche — made up of soldiers from Vermont and several other states, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Colorado — deployed across several U.S. Central Command locations in February. They primarily serve Operation Spartan Shield, which provides a U.S. military presence in Southwest Asia.
Other members of the Vermont National Guard, in Kosovo, are preparing to assist the State Department by temporarily housing Afghans with special immigrant visas, if needed. Those units are also from the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain).
The Vermont National Guard said that, “due to operational tempo,” it is not making Guard members available for interviews.
