During Governor Phil Scott’s weekly press conference Wednesday, the commander of the Vermont National Guard provided an update on the status of airmen deployed to the Middle East.
The Vermont Air Guard’s 158th Fighter wing was deployed to the Caribbean in December and were then immediately deployed to the Middle East to support the war in Iran.
There has been increased scrutiny of military deployments to the region following reports of detrimental conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Vermont Adjutant General Henry Harder Jr. expressed concerns about the length of their deployment.
“They are part of a bigger picture that we don’t have control over. Our airmen are resilient and they’re trained to do their job. They’ve done well and they’re doing well but not without challenges. So I’ve expressed my concern to my leadership in D.C. in the National Guard bureau side about the length of the deployment.”
Harder said, while some guardsmen have rotated home, there is no date for the F-35 fighter wing to return from the Middle East.
