Republican Gov. Phil Scott says he’s still in the dark as to where the Vermont Air National Guard’s latest mobilization orders will take them.
Seven Days reported Tuesday that members of the Air National Guard will be sent on a federal mission later this month.
Lt. Col. Meghan Smith confirmed to Vermont Public on Wednesday that the 158th Fighter Wing “has received a federal mobilization order.”
“While we can’t discuss specific timelines or locations, our Airmen train continuously to ensure they are fully prepared to support federal and state missions whenever and wherever they are needed,” Smith said in an email.
Scott said during his weekly media briefing Wednesday that the Pentagon issued the mobilization orders under Title 10, the federal statute that allows the president to place National Guard troops under federal command.
“There isn’t much I can share because I don’t know a lot about any of the mission,” Scott said. “Everything from my understanding is coming out of either the National Guard or the Pentagon at this point.”
It won’t be the Air National Guard’s first deployment this year. In January, more than 200 airmen deployed to Kadena Air Base in Japan as part of what guard officials described as a “planned rotation to enhance regional security and strengthen interoperability with joint and allied forces.”
