Burlington, Vt. – Six hundred soldiers with the 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team(Mountain) wore battle gear as they boarded a Northwest Airlines 747 airliner,  Friday, October 30, in Burlington, Vermont.  They are not planning on returning home again before they mobilize for duty in Afghanistan.  Guard members head to Fort Polk, Louisiana for combat training and then to Camp Atterbury, Indiana, before mobilizing for Afghanistan.  Tomorrow, Saturday, October 31, another 600 National Guard soldiers will depart, bringing the total of 86th IBCT soldiers heading for mobilization processing to 1500.

Friday morning a ceremony was held for the departing soldiers where Vermont Adjutant General Michael Dubie spoke to the crowd of family and friends gathered there to see the Brigade off.  Dubie, in tradition, handed off the Green Mountain Boys Battle Flag.

In the afternoon soldiers lined up across the tarmac, carrying packs as they boarded the plane.  Some paused to take photos with their cell phones which would be seen immediately by family members back at home. 

On board the plane, Specialist Nicholas Smith, 21, of Claremont, N.H., grinned ear-to-ear as he played with the reclining seats,”This is only my second time flying,” he said enjoying the spacious area of the First Class seating.  Next to him, Private 2nd Class Luke Van Ranst broke into the dessert portion of an MRE. “I’m starving.” he said, not having eaten since he left home early in the morning.

Most of the soldiers appeared relaxed. Plenty of friendly jokes were tossed about while others sat and read a book or browsed the internet while waiting to board the plane.  Some soldiers greeted others who they had not seen for months. Specialist Damon Rooney of Newport, Vt. and Sgt. Darren Schnoop, 34, of Bennington, Vt., shook hands. Rooney drew up his sleeve to show off a new tattoo to Sgt. Schnoop. “I got it last week. I wanted to get it while I had the chance.” said Rooney, knowing it could be a year until he returned home from Afghanistan.

The total number of Vermont National Guard soldiers deploying as part of task Force Phoenix make up Vermont’s largest mobilization for duty since World War II.  Most are expected to mobilize for Afghanistan in December from Camp Atterbury, Indiana, upon finishing their training in Louisiana.

-Vermont Daily News staff report