Vermont State Guard

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name= The Vermont State Guard

| image= Vermont State Guard Shoulder Patch.png

| image_size = 200

|caption= The Vermont State Guard insignia

|dates= 1982 – present

|country= {{flag|United States}}

|allegiance={{flag|Vermont}}

|branch= Army

|type= 25px State defense force

|role= Military reserve force

|size= approx. 180 Cadre (cadre serve as a leadership & training core), post-9/11 was approx. 900 total

|command_structure= Vermont Military Department, Vermont National Guard

|garrison= Camp Johnson – Colchester, Vermont

|garrison_label=

|nickname=

|patron=

|motto= "Ready to Serve"

|colors=

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|march=

|mascot=

|battles=

|anniversaries=

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|commander1= Governor Phil Scott
Governor of Vermont

|commander1_label= Civilian leadership

|commander2= Major General Gregory C. Knight
Vermont Adjutant General
Major General (VSG) Kenneth Stratton
Commander VSG (since August 2018)

|commander2_label= State military leadership

|notable_commanders=

}}

The Vermont State Guard (VSG) is the all-volunteer Military State Support Force of the state of Vermont. The Vermont State Guard serves parallel to the Vermont National Guard, acting as a reserve force for the State of Vermont Military Department. The Vermont State Guard accepts all people even those who were medically disqualified to join the national guard and are composed of individuals living as civilians when not activated, but the force can be activated in the event of an attack or natural disaster or Civil Unrest to serve as a force multiplier for the National Guard, and is assigned to fulfill the state mission of the National Guard when the National Guard is deployed.

Unlike the National Guard, the State Guard cannot be federalized or deployed outside the country. Rather, the VSG can only be called up by the governor, and cannot be deployed outside the state without the governor's permission. The Vermont State Guard is authorized under Title 32, Section 109 of the United States Code and Title 20, Part 3, Chapter 61, of the Vermont State Statutes{{cite web |url=http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/20/061/01151 |title=§ 1151. Organization and maintenance |website=Vermont General Assembly Official Website |access-date=27 March 2015}} and was activated via Executive Order Number 67.

History

The Vermont State Guard traces its roots in the American colonial times with local Vermont militias such as the Green Mountain Boys.{{cite news |last= |first= |date=January 1, 1945 |title=How "Catamount" Got Its Name |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-catamount-catamount/144130335/ |work=The Catamount |location=Montpelier, VT |pages=1–[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-catamount-name/144130438/ 2] |via=Newspapers.com}} During the American Revolution, the Green Mountain Boys took part in the campaign against British forces under General John Burgoyne, and assisted in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga.{{cite encyclopedia | title =Green Mountain Boys | encyclopedia =Encyclopædia Britannica | url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/245031/Green-Mountain-Boys | publisher =Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc }}

During the American Civil War, the Vermont Militia was expanded to handle home guard duties while units of the United States Volunteers were organized and deployed out of state to take part in the conflict's battles.{{cite news |last=Bennett |first=Charles G. |date=January 20, 1982 |title=recruiting a Civil War Army In Vermont |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bennington-banner-recruiting/144131037/ |work=Bennington Banner |location=Bennington, VT |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} Notable members included Carroll S. Page and John Calvin Coolidge Sr., father of Calvin Coolidge.{{cite news |date=November 2, 1864 |title=The St. Albans Raid |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87903228/st-albans-raid/ |work=Lamoille Newsdealer |location=Hyde Park, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite book |last=Ullery |first=Jacob G. |date=1894 |title=Men of Vermont Illustrated |url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924028837072#page/n287/mode/2up |location=Brattleboro, VT |publisher=Transcript Publishing Company |page=80 |ref={{sfnRef|Men of Vermont Illustrated}}}}{{cite book |last=Vermont General Assembly |date=1868 |title=Vermont Legislative Documents and Official Reports |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kclMAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA34 |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Poland's Steam Printing Establishment |page=34 |ref={{sfnRef|Vermont Legislative Documents and Official Reports}}}}{{cite book |last=Vermont Historical Society |date=1995 |title=A Guide to the Coolidge Family Papers, 1802–1932 |url=http://vermonthistory.org/documents/findaid/coolidge.pdf |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Vermont Historical Society |page=6 |ref={{sfnRef|A Guide to the Coolidge Family Papers, 1802-1932}}}}

During World War I, the Vermont State Guard again assumed home guard duties while units of the National Guard were performing federal service outside Vermont.{{cite news |date=June 12, 1917 |title=Home Guards To Be Police |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/st-albans-daily-messenger-guards/144135051/ |work=St. Albans Messenger |location=St. Albans, VT |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} Herbert Thomas Johnson, a veteran of the National Guard and member of the Vermont State Guard, became Vermont's adjutant general in 1917 and continued to serve until 1941.Vermont General Assembly, [http://vermont-archives.org/govhistory/gov/govinaug/farewells/pdf/Graham1919.pdf Farewell Message, Governor Horace Graham] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103052941/http://vermont-archives.org/govhistory/gov/govinaug/farewells/pdf/Graham1919.pdf |date=January 3, 2014 }}, 1919, pages 7–8Vermont General Assembly, [https://books.google.com/books?id=sg4bAQAAIAAJ&q=military+career Journal of the Vermont House of Representatives], 1941, page 18Vermont Adjutant General, [https://books.google.com/books?id=q97lAAAAMAAJ&q=%22herbert+t.+johnson%22+retired Biennial Report], 1942, page 5

During World War II, Vermont's first modern state defense force, set aside as a state organization not eligible for federal service, was established. During World War II, the Vermont State Guard raised a force of 1,278 men and 131 officers to stand in for the National Guard, and, as summarized by Vermont Governor William H. Wills, guarded vital structures such as bridges, electric plants and dams, under the worst of conditions, sub zero weather and inadequate clothing and equipment. In addition, they were on call during their World War II service for local emergencies such as forest fires, searching for lost persons, and searching for airplane crashes.{{cite speech |title=Farewell address of William H. Wills |first=William |last=Wills |author-link = William Henry Wills (politician) |event=Farewell Address |location=Montpelier, VT |date=January 4, 1945 |url=http://vermont-archives.org/govhistory/gov/govinaug/farewells/pdf/Wills1945.pdf#xml=http://Rotunda:8080/isysquery/25d0bba0-d6c8-4b67-be20-aa19d3e37772/1/hilite/}}

The modern incarnation of the Vermont State Guard was signed into law by Governor Richard A. Snelling on April 26, 1982.{{cite web |url=https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/03APPENDIX/020/00001 |title=Executive Order No. 20-1 (No. 67-82) [Cadre of the Vermont State Guard] |last=Snelling |first=Richard A. |date=April 26, 1982 |website=The Vermont Statutes Online: Title 3 Appendix: Executive Orders Chapter 020: Internal Security and Public Safety |publisher=Vermont General Assembly |location=Montpelier, VT |access-date=January 24, 2024}}

Membership

Membership in the Vermont State Guard is open to all citizens, both with and without military experience. Prospective members must pass a background check conducted by the Vermont Criminal Investigation Center (VCIC), and pay the accompanying $30 processing fee, as well as cover the cost of their own uniforms.{{cite web |url=http://www.vermontstateguard.org/how-to-apply |title=How To Apply |website=Vermont State Guard Official Website |access-date=21 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116042529/http://www.vermontstateguard.org/how-to-apply/ |archive-date=January 16, 2020}} The Vermont State Guard (VSG) is continually recruiting new members, as the VSG role has increased and become more critical as natural disasters and global conflicts have increased in scale and prevalence.{{cite news |title=Vermont State Guard seeks veterans |url=http://www.reformer.com/ci_9672660 |location = Colchester |work=Brattleboro Reformer |date=23 June 2008 }}

Training and duties

The Vermont State Guard can be called up by the Governor for any peacetime mission of the National Guard, such as acting as first responders to a natural or man-made disaster, quelling riots, or assisting in military funerals. The Vermont State Guard identifies the chief areas of focus of training and service as:

Safe traffic and pedestrian control on non-public property.
Military Emergency Management Specialists
Emergency Shelter Management (Operations and Security)
Emergency Medical Services (Doctors, Nurses, Mental Health and Paramedics)
Assists local civil authorities
Volunteer coordination
Legal support (attorneys and paralegals)
Support of the military community including their families.
Emergency response training to VSG members and other individuals in the community.
Information management and communications
Chaplain services
Ground Search and Rescue
Operational support to Vermont Army and Air National Guard

Although training may take place one weekend per month for most members, members are only required to meet for training once per year if not called into active duty, and members may leave the organization at any time.{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Zind |title=Vermont State Guard expands its ranks|url=http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/72259/vermont-state-guard-expands-its-ranks/ |work=Vermont Public Radio |date=30 November 2004 }}

The Vermont State Guard has also helped staff National Guard armories that would otherwise be closed while the National Guard has been deployed.

Units

File:VSG Chaplain (Col.) Boyden delivers an invocation.jpg

As of March 2023, units of the Vermont State Guard and their locations are:{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/VTStateGuard |title=Vermont State Guard Locations |date=March 2, 2023 |website=Vermont State Guard at Facebook |publisher=Vermont State Guard |location=Colchester, VT |access-date=March 25, 2024}}

class="wikitable"

! Designation

! Location

Headquarters

1st Battalion

2nd Battalion

3rd Battalion

References

External links

[https://www.facebook.com/VTStateGuard The Vermont State Guard] at Facebook
[https://archive.org/details/VermontStateGuard1941-1944_641 Vermont State Guard 1941–1944:] Footage of Vermont State Guard in World War II at Internet Archive

Category:State defense forces of the United States

Category:Military units and formations in Vermont

Category:1982 establishments in Vermont