The 86th Infantry Brigade, a mountain warfare specialized unit of the Vermont National Guard, has been deployed to Germany to train Ukrainian forces.
“As Task Force Alpine assumes responsibility, we do so with humility — and with resolve,” said Col. Frank Tantillo, the commander of the 86th Infantry Brigade, in a press release announcing the deployment.
Approximately 150 Vermont Army National Guard Soldiers replaced a similar contingent from the Tennessee Army Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment on Feb. 19, in a ceremony at a military base in Grafenwoehr, Germany, according to a press release.
“As the Army’s only true Mountain Brigade, we understand operating in demanding terrain, complex conditions, and uncertain environments,” Tantillo said.
The 86th Infantry Brigade, also known as Task Force Alpine, joined the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine, which brings together rotating deployments of U.S. troops to train Ukrainian soldiers and collaborate with NATO ally troops under the U.S. European Command. The brigade will be in Germany for nine months, according to a press release.
The guardsmen will be training new Ukrainian soldiers in basic military training, even though the unit is normally focused on mountain specific training at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, according to Joseph Brooks, a spokesperson for the Vermont National Guard.
The headquarters company of the 86th Infantry, which is the command and control element of the larger brigade, was mobilized as part of the deployment, Brooks said. Many of the deployed soldiers will be focused on planning, logistics and training, and will be giving Ukrainian soldiers instruction in joint maneuvers and combined arms, according to a press release.
“We have a very dynamic mission,” Brig. Gen. Terry R. Tillis, the commanding general of the 7th Army Training Command, said at the transfer ceremony, according to the release. “Don’t settle for what we just did before. I want you guys to be innovative; think outside the box; and take it to the next level.”
The 86th Infantry Brigade deployment began just a week before the four year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and the start of the war.
Correction: Due to an editing error, the feature photo in the previous version of this story showed the outgoing army unit, rather than the incoming unit of the Vermont National Guard.
