Return of the ‘Mountain Brigade’ from training Ukrainian troops

The Vermont National Guard’s 86th Infantry Brigade will soon touch down on Green Mountain soil as its deployment to train Ukrainian soldiers in Germany comes to an end.

As the National Guard returns home, active U.S. Army units are taking over the training.

“They have done a very valuable mission in their training responsibilities, and I believe that they have learned a lot as well as having been valuable instructors for the region,” said Joseph Brooks, spokesperson for the Vermont National Guard.

The 86th Infantry Brigade, also known as the “Mountain Brigade” for its specialized training in mountain warfare, was sent to Germany in February. The deployment of just over 150 members came immediately before the four-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Now the unit is undergoing a standard Army return process to prepare for the journey home. The process typically takes around two weeks, Brooks said. 

The U.S. military recently transitioned two European missions that the National Guard operated for over a decade to active-duty U.S. Army units, according to a report from the National Guard Association of the United States. 

The Vermont National Guard was in charge of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine. The mission originated in 2015 in Yavoriv, Ukraine, before moving operations to Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The handover to an active Army unit “marks a shift toward supporting training requirements for our Ukrainian partners on a more permanent and sustainable basis,” said Col. Michael Weisman, a senior Army spokesperson, according to the report.

The mission, as with other collaborative missions, has further strengthened the U.S. military’s relationship with European military forces, Brooks said.

“We speak a common language when we go and work with other partner militaries,” Brooks said. “And we form fast friendships all the time because we share knowledge, and that makes us all stronger.”

As part of the return process outlined by the U.S. Army, unit members will travel to a deployment station for administrative processing as well as counseling and briefings before they come home, Brooks said.

Brooks did not disclose the location of the deployment station, saying the military typically waits until the unit arrives before releasing the information for security purposes.

As soon as the process is completed and the flights are booked, Brooks said, the Vermont National Guard will alert the families of the return date and organize a homecoming ceremony.

The brigade’s return comes after members of the Vermont Air National Guard arrived home in September from an eight-month deployment in the Caribbean and Middle East.

“As with any deployment, I’m sure that everybody is very much looking forward to coming home and seeing their families,” Brooks said. “A lot of change happens in the time of deployment for a soldier’s life.”

A sense of accomplishment will come with the joy of seeing their loved ones again, Brooks said.

“Without a doubt, they are, as I’ve seen from a lot of reports, very proud of the work that they did,” he said.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Return of the ‘Mountain Brigade’ from training Ukrainian troops.

Courtesy of VT Digger