Vermont National Guard

Vermont National Guard (the Green Mountain Boys)
Flag of the Green Mountain Boys, predating the Vermont Republic, is still used by the Vermont National Guard.
Active	1764–1814 (the Green Mountain Boys) Army Guard: 1860s, 1898, 1917–1918, 1923–Present Air Guard: 1946–Present
Country	United States
Type	National Guard
Size	Approximately 4,000 (3,000 Army, 1,000 Air)
Part of	Joint Force Headquarters – Vermont 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) 124th Infantry Regiment (Regional Training Institute) Vermont National Guard Garrison Support Command 158th Fighter Wing
Nickname(s)	The Green Mountain Boys
Colors	Green, gold and blue
Engagements	Gettysburg, St. Albans
Commanders
Current commander	Steven A. Cray (March, 2013–present)
Notable commanders	Isaac Fletcher (1824–1825) Peter T. Washburn (1861–1866) William Wells (1866–1872) Theodore S. Peck (1881–1901) Donald E. Edwards (1981–1997) Martha Rainville (1997–2006) Michael Dubie (2006–2012) Thomas E. Drew (2012–2013)

The Vermont National Guard is composed of the Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard. Together, they are collectively known as the Green Mountain Boys, despite the inclusion of women in both branches since the mid-twentieth century. Both units use the original Revolutionary War era Flag of the Green Mountain Boys as their banner. Their strength in 2009 was 2,660.

White settlers relied on the militia almost from the moment they began moving into Vermont in the mid-1700s. Units were often formed as needed, and usually for brief periods of time. Since most Vermonters had obtained land grants from New Hampshire's governor, they relied on the militia to resist attempts by the government of New York to exert control over the grants. However, Vermonters were also willing to work with the British colonies when it suited them, and several early Vermont settlers served as militia in the French and Indian War.

In the late 1760s and early 1770s, the militia took on a more organized structure and formalized its name, the Green Mountain Boys, with Ethan Allen appointed as Colonel and commandant, and Seth Warner and Remember Baker as company commanders with the rank of Captain. In Vermont's pre-Revolutionary War days, the legislature or committee of safety would generally call out the militia as needed, its members would elect their leaders, and the legislature or committee of safety would confirm them. On occasion, the elections by members were not ratified. Perhaps the most noteworthy example of this occurred in 1775, when the Green Mountain Boys became part of the Continental Army, and the committee of safety selected Warner over Allen as Colonel and commander.