Senior officials with the Vermont National Guard say they have extensive programs in place to support military families during a major deployment set to begin late this year.
Adjutant General Michael Dubie told a Vermont House committee yesterday that the Guard is committed to doing what it can to make sure a deployment of about 1,800 troops to Afghanistan won’t be unduly disruptive to families, employers and the larger Vermont community.
But he and other top Guard officials acknowledge that a deployment of nearly half of Vermont’s 4,000 Guard members will cause some disruptions, and say that the Guard supports services including free health care for military families during deployments and various types of counseling.