Dubie to oversee Guard changes in the coming year

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(Host) The newly elected leader of the Vermont National Guard will oversee major changes in the Guard in the coming year.

The Army Guard’s armored divisions will be reorganized into brigades that can be deployed without the support of an entire division.

Speaking on Switchboard Tuesday evening, incoming Adjutant General Michael Dubie said Vermont will see the impact of the long-planned national transformation of the Guard by the end of 2006:

(Dubie) “Nearly the entire Army National Guard in Vermont will restructure to this new brigade combat team. And it will affect, it will be moving people and armories and organizations all around. And that comes with it losing our tanks. And it’s a new paradigm for Vermont.”

(Host) Dubie says the restructuring should create increased troop mobility and shorter, more predictable deployments.

Michael Dubie also responded to a question about a Burlington ballot item about the Air Guard’s mission. The group backing the resolution wants the Vermont Air Guard to serve only defensively, and not to be deployed on overseas missions.

Dubie, a fighter pilot for the Air Guard, said the resolution won’t change national policy but it could have a negative impact on the Vermont Air Guard:

(Dubie) “What’s at risk is, as a consequence of this resolution in Burlington – and the governor agrees with this, mayor agrees with this, the unanimous city council agrees with this, the entire congressional delegation agrees with this – is that we possibly put at risk losing the Air Guard. I don’t think you’re anti-Guard, I just think you’re misguided, or your organization is misguided.”

(Host) Dubie said the Air Force plans to cut its
F-16 fleet and that propositions like this put the Vermont Air Guard at risk of being a target for those cuts.

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