Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Good morning everyone. Good Welcome to our Caucus of the Whole today which is the State of the Guard address. This has been a really important, caucus of the whole that we have held to get an update on the state of the guard, what our needs are, what's working, and it's been, I think a really special thing that we have created here and continue to do. So with that, I'm very very proud to introduce our adjutant general, Gregory Knight.

[Major General Gregory Knight (Adjutant General, Vermont National Guard)]: Good morning. Good morning. Thank you, madam speaker, for the opportunity to be with everyone today. I sincerely appreciate you all for making time to hear from your Vermont National Guard. But first, I must admit something. You can write this on your calendar. I was wrong. You can tell my previous date of the guard was not my last, but this one, I'm pretty sure is. Before I go any further, I'd like to acknowledge those for whom the cost of service has been the greatest. As I go through my comments today, I will be acknowledging some folks are asking for recognition. Not everybody could make it because they're working or they're traveling, but nonetheless, I think it's validating for them to know that their work is appreciated. Our Gold Star families have lost loved ones through hostile action and service to our nation. They understand in the most personal way the sacrifice asked of our service members. I ask our Gold Star families to please stand and be recognized. I would also like to recognize our military survivors, families who've lost loved ones to illness or disease, many far too early in life, including those related to toxic exposures from open air burn pits and other hazards. Your strength, resilience and advocacy continue to matter and we are deeply grateful to you. Would you also stand and please be recognized? Please know that your loved ones are never far from our thoughts and their service is never forgotten. I'd like to thank my commander in chief throughout my tenure, governor Philip B. Scott. Governor, you've always had the best interest of our guard to the four in the executive leadership of our state, and I thank you for supporting me in the execution of my duties. I offer special thanks for I offer special thanks to our honorary commanders. These are our established community leaders who continue to support and advocate for our guard. They give of their own time to help mentor our leaders, soldiers, airmen, and to help share the story of the excellence and opportunity that comes with service in the Vermont National Guard. Would you all please stand and be recognized? We made some here. I'd also like to recognize the leadership of this body and our legislative colleagues from our congressional delegation who have joined us today. Your service, your stewardship, and your willingness to engage with the Vermont National Guard in a thoughtful and nonpartisan way have made a meaningful lip difference for our soldiers, our airmen, our veterans, families and survivors. So thank you. I would be remiss to not mention the support and patience of my amazing wife Tracy and my family, some of whom could join us today. Griffin and Jordan are here. Our son Jason, who's a staff sergeant with our eighty sixth brigade, our mountain brigade couldn't be here as he's currently deployed to Germany with his unit. So Tracy, Griffin, Jordan, would you please stand and be recognized? Thank you. As I reflect on the end of my tenure as the adjutant general and approach my retirement from the United States military, I want to offer my sincere thanks to you, legislators past and present, for the honor and privilege of allowing me to serve the state of Vermont in this role. It's been the professional honor of my career. Now for sure, there have been wonderful moments when I would think, man, I can't believe they pay me to do this job. And there's other times when I would think, you can't pay me enough to do this job. Now that tension, of course, is true for many in positions of responsibility. But I can say without hesitation that the good has far outweighed the bad, and I'm deeply proud of what this organization, our soldiers and airmen, have accomplished with your support. One of the most important lessons I've learned during my time as the adjutant general is this, the strength of the Vermont National Guard is inseparable from the strength of its relationship with the legislature. You are not simply an oversight body or funding authority. You're one of the most important centers of influence for the men and women who serve in uniform and for the communities they return to after every mission. Historically, the guard did not always have a consistent venue for communication beyond committee testimony, budget requests, specific legislative proposal. It was necessary, certainly. It's also insufficient. When I began this role, I believed that we could do more to strengthen that relationship. To address that, I began providing regular updates to the governor, the legislature, our congressional delegation, and to our force. Transparency matters. That is why I made transparency and routine communication a priority. I began providing six month legislative updates to all of our centers of influence. My intent was simple. You deserve to know what your guard is doing, where we are operating, how we are resourcing the force, and what challenges we're facing. The Vermont National Guard is a remarkable story to tell and it should never be hidden behind acronyms or briefed only when something goes wrong. That same philosophy led to my request for the establishment of the Vermont National Guard and Veterans Caucus. I believed our guard members, veterans, families, and survivors needed a consistent nonpartisan venue for dialogue, understanding, and trust. Since this establishment, the caucus has provided a direct line of communication between the guard and its elected representatives irrespective of party affiliation or political philosophy. What has resulted is something that I did not expect. Genuine collegiality, curiosity, and advocacy. Through this caucus, we've worked together to pass legislation that has had a real and lasting impact on the lives of our soldiers, airmen, veterans, and their families. Legislation that improves access to education, supports workforce development, strengthens benefits, and honors those who have served and sacrificed. Just as important, it is built trust. Trust that when we raise concerns, they are heard. Trust that when propose solutions, they are considered on their merits. And trust that our shared goal, supporting those who serve Vermont and the nation, transcends political alignment. I'd like to acknowledge the service of my three current co chairs and our past co chair representatives Laura Sebilia, Lisa Hango, Mary Katherine Stone and Matt Birong. Would you please stand so we may recognize you? This partnership has also extended beyond this building. Together, we've strengthened our relationships with Vermont's communities, with our employers, with our media partners, through initiatives like our partnered recruiting initiative for military and employers, prime. We've connected military service to workforce development and economic opportunity. We've helped employees see the guard not as a liability, but as a source of disciplined, skilled and resilient professional talent. Our guard is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge to grow our Vermont workforce by intentionally connecting military talent to our state. Each year, highly trained service members transition from active duty with leadership experience, technical certification, security clearances, and a proven commitment to service. Many are looking for a place to build a life, raise a family, and continue contributing to something bigger than themselves. Through Prime, we connect service members, their spouses, working age family members directly with the Vermont employers who are committed to interviewing and hiring military talent. At present, have 40 employers as prime partners and 24 more pending who will guarantee members of the Vermont National Guard and their family members an interview. Now Now those members still must perform well and get the job on their merits, but their service opens a door that might not otherwise have been opened to them. Through targeted outreach within the military community, we can present Vermont as a pathway that connects service members and their families to meaningful employment. Vermont can offer a compelling proposition, A community that values service, employers ready to hire, and opportunities that support long term success for both the member and their family. With Vermont's strong tuition and education benefits available to service members, we can translate military experience into civilian opportunity. We can retain the exceptional people already serving in our ranks, but also attract transitioning service members seeking stability, purpose and opportunity. If we help them see a clear future here, they will choose Vermont and our state will be stronger for it. The Vermont model works. It demonstrates that a professional military force can be transparent, accountable, and deeply connected to its civilian leadership. That relationship is not just healthy, it's our responsibility. When I began this in 2019, I requested an initial organizational assessment from National Guard Bureau. The results made it clear that improvement was not optional, it was essential. The organization has grown the organization had grown very busy, very operational, and it needed to pause long enough to look inward. Over the past seven years, we've made significant progress in strengthening our climate, reinforcing accountability, and building a culture rooted in professionalism and trust. I understand that that work is and will remain ongoing. We've worked deliberately and at times uncomfortably to change not just policies, but behaviors. Not just processes, but expectations. We've made meaningful progress in improving our organizational climate and strengthening our culture. I will tell you that it's hard to do when we have visibility of two thirds of the organization for only 7% of their life. Those are our traditional drilling members of our guard. But we have fundamentally changed how the Vermont National Guard engages with those we serve. We strengthened our relationships with the governor, our legislature, and our congressional delegation. We've invested in partnerships with our communities, our employers, and critically important, our media partners. We deliberately focused on transparency and communication, understanding that trust is built through consistency and openness. I'd like to recognize some amazing people who've become central to sharing our story. Ms. Wendy Mays from the Executive Director of the Association of Broadcasters, Myers Mammel, Don Harrison, Carolyn McLean and Brad Furland from WDEV. Anthony Neri, Dan Feliciano and Kurt Wright from WVMT. Vijay Singh and Josh Crane from Vermont Public. Darren Perrin, see what I did there. And Jay Barton from WCAX. Lauren Maloney from Fox forty four and Ryan Rothstein from WPTZ. Thank you so much for what you do. Would you stand and be recognized? A key factor in organizational transformation was looking out for the mental health and well-being of our force. Vermont was one of the first states to fully staff our integrated primary prevention workforce. This team works to identify climate and cultural challenges, including behavioral risk, suicide prevention, and mental health, and assesses the impact of the inherent stress that comes with military service. They analyze and recommend solutions to mitigate and prevent behaviors harmful to our soldiers, airmen, and their families, and offer resources and expertise when needed. Our psychological health specialists are always there for our guard members, literally twenty four seven. I'd like to introduce these amazing people to you. Lieutenant Colonel Jenny Stevenson, Ms. Devin Bevins, Ms. Kylie Clancy, Ms. Elise Heffelfinger, Mr. Chuck Brewer, Mr. Jordan Imhoff, and Ms. Trish Soder, would you please stand and be recognized? Thank you so much for your work. While we have an outstanding VA team in Vermont, White River Junction, Lakeside Clinic, and our Vet Center, we continue to struggle with not having enough providers specializing in care for military members and veterans. Not enough accepting new patients, not enough accepting TRICARE. Look, can work to remove the stigma of seeking help. I just don't have enough places to send our people. The Howard Center is listening and has recently implemented a military and veteran program designed to support military members and veterans through confidential and trauma informed medical care. They have clinicians specifically trained and certified to meet the unique needs of our military and our veterans. In addition to the Howard Center, there are five other healthcare centers across Vermont now working to meet this critical need. I'd like to acknowledge folks with us today from the Howard Center, Sandy Maguire, Erin Gamache, Dan Hall, Ryan Baldwin, and Sharon L. Schutz, would you please stand to be recognized? Thank you for your work. We have worked to ensure the guard is better understood, not just as a military force, but as a civic institution that belongs to the people of Vermont. People are at the center of everything the Vermont National Guard does. Soldiers, airmen, civilians, and families who choose to serve, often quietly, often without recognition, but always with commitment. Our soldiers and airmen are not separate from the communities they represent. They are deeply embedded in them. They are your constituents, your neighbors, your coworkers, and your family members. It's important to recognize the diversity of experience we have in our ranks. They are teachers and school administrators, linemen, electricians and plumbers, doctors, nurses and EMTs, law enforcement officers and firefighters. They work in manufacturing, information technology, agriculture, construction, and small businesses across Vermont. Some are just starting their careers. High school, CTE, and college students. Others are balancing service with raising families or caring for aging parents. We have first generation service members and those whose families have served for generations. The service in the National Guard of today looks very different than it did a generation ago. The demands in our force are higher, more frequent, and more complex. Our soldiers and airmen are expected to be ready for domestic response, overseas deployment, cyber defense, humanitarian assistance, and support to civil authorities to support Vermonters during emergencies, often with little notice. They're a part time force with a full time mission. And yet despite these challenges, this all volunteer force steps forward to say, I will serve. That decision speaks volumes about their character and their commitment to community, state, and nation. Your Vermont National Guard is exceptional. Our responsibility is to ensure it remains strong. I'd like to take a moment to recognize some of our outstanding members who served in both military civilian capacities. Many work as those quiet professionals behind the scenes, facilitating success with little recognition. Our recruiting and retention team leaders without whom we cannot maintain a strong ready force. They work in an extremely challenging environment and do so willingly. For most serving in uniform, you can probably thank a recruiter. Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Palletti, command sergeant major Casey Bell, first sergeant Courtney Weisert, sergeant first class Devin Johnson, lieutenant Daniel Truso, senior master sergeant Mark Bohak, tech sergeant Megan Feeney, tech sergeant Grace Mayer, would you all please stand and be recognized? Of course, all that we do takes money, and the Vermont National Guard continues to be an outstanding steward of taxpayer dollars. Our military department and fiscal office professionals help to manage a $200,000,000 budget, work through complex contracts, cooperative agreements, and the bureaucracy of the military construction process. Their efforts have proven the Vermont National Guard to be exceptional at both the state and federal level and bring tens of millions of dollars to Vermont in federal military construction funding. Miss Kim Fidelli, colonel Rob Boutin, colonel Scott Detweiler, colonel Nelson Mitchell, colonel Jacob Roy, colonel Keith Schnell, would you all stand and be recognized? And John L. Edmondwald, I see you as well. As I said before, the Vermont National Guard is not just a military organization. It is a civic institution. The men and women who serve in our ranks are not defined solely by what they do in uniform, but by how that deepens their connection to the communities, the state, and the nation they serve. Servicing the guard is a powerful expression of active citizenship. Our members swear an oath to the constitution, not to a political party or ideology. They serve their neighbors in times of crisis and their nation when called abroad. In uniform, promoters from different backgrounds, political views, and life experiences come together with a shared purpose. They learn discipline, accountability, teamwork, and respect for lawful authority. They learned that rights come with responsibilities and that leadership is rooted in service, not status. That experience shapes how they serve long after the uniform comes off. The guard strengthens the social fabric of Vermont by reinforcing the principle that democracy depends on citizens willing to step forward when it matters. We have soldiers and airmen from Ghana, from Somalia, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bolivia, Jamaica, Nigeria, Senegal, Ecuador, and Haiti. Many of them earned their citizenship through service. Diversity is a thing. Inclusion is an action. One will get you the other. Our guard has focused some of our recruiting efforts on these remarkable people who have a desire to serve our nation. I'd like to recognize someone special this morning. Private first class Diego Federico Bonilla became a US citizen on 12/23/2025. Diego was born in Ecuador, where he served as an officer in their military. When Diego came to The United States, he had a few challenges to work through. He chose to join our Vermont Army National Guard, and we assisted him on his path. We stood with him when he raised his right hand a second time, having earned his citizenship. Diego, would you stand and be recognized? Like Diego, many service members have accepted citizenship in the truest sense. They've shown that it is not passive. It is not limited to voting or debate or belief. Citizenship is an active commitment to the well-being of others and a willingness to accept responsibility when circumstances demand it. This model of citizenship through service has taken on renewed importance in recent years. Natural disasters, public health emergencies, cyber threats, and global instability have tested our institutions and our trust in one another. In each of these moments, the Vermont National Guard has responded not as an abstract force, but as fellow citizens in uniform. We were there to help Vermonters and our partner agencies work through the challenges of COVID nineteen. We responded to the events of January 6 in our nation's capital. We were there to assist communities hit by two consecutive years of flooding across Vermont, providing life saving resources with our community first responders to many Vermont families. These short notice mobilizations validate the well practiced emergency response system the Vermont National Guard has put in place in collaboration with our state of Vermont partner agencies to provide resources and expertise when they're needed with an understanding of the urgency required. When Vermonters need help, the guard is always ready and always there. At present, our Vermont International Guard has approximately 200 members on active duty orders under title 10 of US code in support of our federal mission. The eighty sixth infantry brigade combat team, our mountain brigade, has around a 160 members currently mobilized for about a year to participate in the joint multinational training group, Ukraine. They are currently in Germany to engage the critical task of training new Ukrainian army soldiers, and our infantry battalion will mobilize this coming spring in support of operations in Southwest Asia for about a year. So I would like to take a moment to clarify how the National Guard operates under state and federal law because it is a source of confusion. The National Guard has a dual role, unique in The United States. First, as a state militia in service to the governor, and second, as the primary combat reserve of the army in the air force. Guard members primarily serve under three duty statuses. State active duty, which is purely state funding and state command and control. Title 32, which is federally funded, but with state command and control. And title 10, which is federally funded and federally commanded. Now the structure reflects more than a century of legal evolution and review. It's designed to balance state authority with national defense requirements. In fact, the foundation of the National Guard as we now know it actually goes back to the sixteen hundreds. This is a vast oversimplification, but it can help explain why confusion exists. So if you've checked your mailboxes, I provided you with what I call the placemat. It's a two sided breakdown of the many mobilization statuses for the National Guard. Now the 13 statuses on that placemat, that's but a partial listing. We need duty status reform to streamline the access and mobilization categories for the National Guard, addressing the disparities in pay and benefits tied to the 27 different statuses, and that responsibility resides with congress. But you have the power to influence that discussion. The Vermont National Guard is also very active in international diplomacy through our state partnership program partners, Austria, North Macedonia, Senegal. These partnerships have moved well beyond traditional military to military engagement and now encompass disaster response, emergency management, and civil resilience. They strengthen Vermont while contributing to broader global security and stability. Now when I speak of security and stability, it is with an understanding this is not just a purely military construct. It is all those things that make for a strong resilient society. Commerce, tourism, trade, food and fuel security, transparent and corruption free governance, agriculture, environmental stewardship, education, the arts. We've been partners with North Macedonia for thirty four years, working alongside our colleagues to ensure they became one of our newest NATO allies. We've helped to grow their capability, capacity, and modernization, focused on interoperability, and recently participated in a large scale NATO exercise in Greece and North Macedonia involving 12,000 soldiers from eight nations. North Macedonia soon signed a memorandum of agreement to send their military academy cadets to attend a semester at Norwich University as part of a resurgent student exchange program. I will note that Norwich University is building future military leaders, not just for America, but also for our partner nations. This past summer, we facilitated a sister state partnership between the UVM Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Lake Oak Ridge Hydrobiological Institute to help North Macedonia preserve the Lake Oak Ridge Watershed, a world heritage site. Senegal, our partner for eighteen years remains a focus and example of the incredible potential these partnerships represent. We are working with our Senegalese colleagues to counter malign influence from violent extremist organizations, helping to address misinformation, disinformation, and cyber security. We've done multiple years of medical readiness exercises throughout Senegal, growing from bilateral engagements to a multilateral joint venture, providing medical resources and expertise where they are desperately needed. Just a few months ago, our secretary of agriculture, Anson Tevich, visited Senegal, highlighting the whole of government, whole of society approach to the partnership. I believe he might be the first cabinet secretary to visit unsolicited from the National Guard. The city of Burlington has established a subnational sister city partnership with Chess East in Senegal. Ali Zhang, one of my dearest friends and a founding member of the Vermont New American Advisory Council was critical in making this happen with the support of mayor Mollie Stainek. Ali and the members of the sister city board, would you stand and be recognized? Thank you for your leadership. Austria, while the newest of our partners celebrating four years in May has proven to be an incredible partner. Governor Scott has already signed a memorandum of agreement with Austrian ambassador, Patriarch Nebauer, to leverage Austrian expertise in bring building apprenticeship programs in Vermont. We've conducted multilateral engagements with the Austrian army here in The United States and in Europe and Africa. Norge University has already twice hosted Austrian cadets from the Theresien Military Academy in Wiener Neustadt who attended a semester here in Vermont. The state of Vermont has also initiated a subnational partnership with the province of Styria in Austria focusing on commerce, agriculture, and tourism, and Lindsay Carley from agency of commerce and community development. Would you stand to be recognized? Thank you for your leadership on this. The potential to grow our partnerships is remarkable. We will continue engaging in military to military events and exercises, but the true potential is a mutually beneficial process of engaging in initiatives well beyond our traditional relationships. It is the whole of society approach that will reveal what is possible. Our partners, the Vermont Council on World Affairs, cabinet secretaries, and this legislature have a distinct role in making that potential become a reality. Our robust partnerships don't just develop by themselves. It takes a tremendous amount of foresight, planning, logistics. We are fortunate to have our state partnership director, lieutenant colonel Jean Enriquez, with us here this morning. Jean is truly the driving force, the visionary leader behind our partnerships. Jean, would you please stand and be recognized? So I painted you a picture of a very active National Guard. These achievements have only been possible because of the incredible work ethic of our force. Now imagine what we could do if our ranks were full. Vermont presents a difficult recruiting environment. Our demographic is tough to work in, but we must move beyond the antiquated, tired, and incorrect stereotypes of military service that I mentioned to you last year. You can do better. I wouldn't do that if I were you, or why would you throw your life away? That is simply nonsense. While service in our National Guard isn't for everyone, we do offer what is truly a dual career track. You can serve in our National Guard and have a full time job and go to school. So when people ask me why we're having recruiting challenges, I will answer that question with a question. How many people have you referred for a career in the National Guard? One of the remedies for our recruiting challenges is simple. You can help us tell the story. You, our centers of influence, matter. You can change the dynamic, encourage engagement, normalize service as an honorable profession to help us remove the stigma of serving in our National Guard. I can share with you that once people join our guard, they stay. Our retention numbers remain very high. The challenge for us is simply getting people in the front door. As I look ahead, our legislature will soon undertake one of its most important responsibilities with respect to the Vermont National Guard, the legislative election of the next adjutant general. This process belongs to you. I ask only that you approach it with the same collegiality, curiosity, and care that has defined our work together. With my transition scheduled for March 1, I'm completing a continuity binder for my successor. Its purpose is simple, to provide a handrail. It outlines the expectations of the job, building relationships at every level, engagement with our employers, educators, media partners, the public, relationships and networking on the national stage, and engaging in diplomacy with our international partners. Fiscal stewardship of a complex budget and the management of complex programs like our state partnership program. Much of that is transparent to most. You have a good problem. There are two outstanding candidates before you, colleagues I've served with for decades. Whoever you choose today, I have supreme confidence that they will lead our guard into a bright future. For seven years, I have extolled the professionalism, expertise, loyalty, and quiet dedication of our soldiers, airmen, and their families. Despite the sacrifices that come with service, the time away from home, the missed milestones like birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, short notice missions, and sometimes long deployments, they continue to step forward. As one example of many, today I was going to recognize staff sergeant Catherine Gullow. During our short notice air guard deployment in 2022 to support the NATO air policing mission to counter Russian aggression, Catherine chose to miss her graduation ceremony from UVM to serve alongside her colleagues. But she can't be here again today because she's again deployed. I'd like to at least recognize her dedication and the dedication of all of our soldiers and airmen currently deployed with a round of applause. I offer my sincere gratitude to all the members of the Vermont National Guard for volunteering to serve in our outstanding organization despite the challenges they face. The position of Adjutant General isn't about rank, authority, or privilege. It is, however, about placing the needs of our soldiers, our airmen, and their families first. So thank you to our guard for placing your trust in me for the past seven years. The state of our guard is strong. With your continued partnership, it can be stronger, still more capable, more resilient, and better prepared to serve Vermont and our nation in an increasingly complex world. I sincerely thank you for the honor of serving as your adjutant general. I thank you for your service to this state, and I thank you for your continued support for your Vermont National Guard. Put the Vermonters ahead. Thank you.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: General Knight, we so appreciate your service and incredible leadership, and we wish you all the best. Thank you. Members and guests that completes our caucus of the whole, the state of the guard. We will be gaveling in in two minutes for our our, house floor. So please stay stay close by. So the house nope. This is we're not in, together. So this is the caucus of the hall. So the caucus of the hall is adjourned, and we will gavel in in two minute.