|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The F-35s from the Vermont Air National Guard will join the growing U.S. force massed in the Caribbean aimed largely at the Maduro regime.
Vermont’s Air National Guard has been thrust into the center of an escalating U.S. military operation in the Caribbean, with pilots and support personnel from Burlington’s 158th Fighter Wing now deploying their F-35A stealth fighters to the region under urgent federal orders.
A Sudden Call to Action
The mobilization came with little warning and unusual speed. Unit members who reported for routine drill training the weekend of December 6-7 learned they would soon be federally mobilized. By December 9, Vermont Army National Guard spokesperson Joe Brooks confirmed the deployment would happen “sometime here in December,” noting the “short turnaround time.”
On December 10, the unit received its Title 10 federal mobilization orders, and by December 11, defense officials confirmed the Green Mountain Boys would be heading to the Caribbean to support Operation Southern Spear.
For a Guard unit that typically plans deployments 12 to 24 months in advance, the compressed timeline was described as “unusual” and suggested an urgent need for their specialized capabilities.
The Green Mountain Boys: Vermont’s Elite Fighter Wing
The 158th Fighter Wing, based at Burlington International Airport, became the first Air National Guard unit to fly the F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, receiving its first aircraft in September 2019 and reaching full operational capability in late 2021.
This isn’t a typical reserve unit. The Vermont pilots are highly experienced aviators, many with thousands of hours flying F-16s before transitioning to the cutting-edge F-35. Earlier in 2025, they deployed to Kadena Air Base in Japan, operating in the high-tension Indo-Pacific environment.
The F-35A they fly represents the most advanced fighter jet in the U.S. arsenal, capable of evading sophisticated radar systems and carrying precision weapons deep into contested territory. Their aircraft are equipped with Block 4 software, providing advanced capabilities necessary for complex combat scenarios.
What Federal Mobilization Means
Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Vermont Guard members are federalized and removed from the command of Governor Phil Scott. They become active-duty personnel under direct control of the President and the U.S. Air Force, subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Governor Scott acknowledged to reporters that he “didn’t know a lot about any of the mission” and referred questions to the Pentagon. This lack of information sharing underscored how completely the operation shifted to federal control.
Lt. Col. Meghan Smith, the unit spokesperson, cited federal operational security restrictions in refusing to disclose how many aircraft or personnel would deploy, or their exact destination. This level of secrecy is typical of combat deployments rather than routine training missions.
The Mission: Operation Southern Spear
The Vermont pilots are joining Operation Southern Spear, officially described as a counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism effort in the Caribbean. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the operation in November 2025, explicitly linking drug interdiction to homeland defense.
The operation has escalated significantly since its September launch. The U.S. has conducted at least 22 strikes on vessels allegedly carrying drugs and linked to criminal organizations, resulting in over 87 fatalities. The Trump administration designated groups like Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua and the Cartel of the Suns as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in February 2025, a legal move that allows the use of lethal military force without traditional law enforcement requirements.
The military buildup in the region is substantial. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group arrived in November, joining amphibious assault ships, Marine Corps forces, and various aircraft already deployed to the region. The U.S. has also reactivated Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico, a facility that was closed in 2004.
Why Vermont’s F-35As Matter
While Marine Corps F-35B variants have operated in the Caribbean since September, Vermont’s F-35A model brings significantly enhanced capabilities. The Air Force variant can fly roughly 200 nautical miles farther than the Marine version, carry heavier weapons internally while maintaining its stealth profile, and pull higher G-forces in air combat.
From Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico, Vermont’s fighters can reach deep into the Venezuelan interior without immediate refueling—a critical capability given the sophisticated Russian-made air defense systems Venezuela possesses.
The deployment of these aircraft suggests potential missions beyond drug interdiction. The F-35A excels at suppressing enemy air defenses and striking hardened targets, capabilities that would be needed if the operation expands beyond its current scope.
Impact on Vermont Families
The December mobilization has created hardship for Vermont families during the holiday season. While not all of the wing’s roughly 1,000 personnel are deploying, a significant portion of the squadron’s pilots and support staff are expected to participate.
International Controversy
The operation has created diplomatic tensions with U.S. allies. France’s Foreign Minister called the military strikes a violation of international law, while the United Kingdom suspended intelligence sharing with the U.S. regarding Caribbean drug trafficking—a significant move given the UK’s typical cooperation with American counter-narcotics efforts.
Legal scholars have questioned whether the lethal strikes against drug smuggling vessels comply with international humanitarian law, arguing that drug trafficking remains a law enforcement matter absent direct links to armed conflict.
In Latin America, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has called the operation a “power grab” for Venezuelan oil resources. Brazil’s government warned that a U.S. invasion could trigger a “Vietnam-style” regional conflict.
Russia has denounced the buildup as a “fabricated pretext” for regime change, while China opposes the airspace restrictions that affect commercial travel and trade.
The Broader Picture
The operation represents the largest U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean since 1989, when the U.S. invaded Panama. More than 15,000 U.S. military personnel are now in the region.
Beyond drug interdiction, the operation appears designed to pressure the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The U.S. recently seized the oil tanker Skipper off Venezuela’s coast, and the FAA has closed airspace south of Puerto Rico.
The military has also deployed autonomous drone vessels to patrol the Caribbean, part of what the Navy calls its “Hybrid Fleet” concept combining traditional warships with unmanned systems.
What Happens Next
The duration of Vermont’s deployment remains unclear. Federal operational security prevents the Pentagon from disclosing specific timelines, but the infrastructure investments at Roosevelt Roads and the scale of forces involved suggest an operation planned to continue into 2026.
Three potential scenarios could unfold: The U.S. might maintain the current blockade posture, using economic pressure to force political change in Venezuela. Alternatively, any provocation could trigger a limited air campaign targeting Venezuelan military capabilities—a mission that would rely heavily on Vermont’s F-35As to suppress air defenses. The least likely but most consequential scenario would be a full-scale intervention aimed at regime change.
For Vermont families, the immediate concern is the safe return of their loved ones. For the Guard members themselves, they face the reality of serving in an operation that has generated significant controversy both internationally and at home. The Green Mountain Boys, flying from a base 500 miles from the Venezuelan coast, now sit at the center of the most significant U.S. military operation in Latin America in more than three decades.
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Military
So many have leveled their (non military expertise) opinion on this action. Most because Trump is President.
The key takeaway is the term International Law.
[Term used recently to by Mamdani when he referred to arresting Netanyahu if he ever came to NYC due to violating International Law].
The USA is not governed by International Law.
But here is a law we do abide by written in the Legislative Branch.
THE MARITIME DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT ACT of 1986 (Public Law 99-570, Title XVIII) is a key U.S. law giving the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies broad authority to combat drug trafficking on the high seas, even on foreign vessels if the flag nation consents, establishing extraterritorial jurisdiction over drug offenses, and targeting traffickers regardless of their location, extending U.S. law enforcement reach into international waters. Many presidents since Reagan have used this law. What has changed to make this suspicious of being illegal ? Trump is President, . . . . that’s it. Any other President it would be ok with the people of the USA.
Finally we are going to War on Drugs.
Government has said we were in a War on Drugs for 40 years now we are finally putting it to the bad guys.
CIA:
Is upset because all that cash they have been paying with for years is drying up.
“We The People Approve”
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Kick a$$, take names and return safe. God Bless
Amen!
I guess we sent the best of the best of the best.
……There’s something happening here,what it is ain’t exactly clear,there’s a man with a gun over there,telling me I’ve got to beware ….. The DC Club continues to be out of their minds…..
…according to the experienced arbiter of international foreign policy, singer and song writer, Stephen Stills. You can take that to the bank… if you really want to. But….
“I don’t set out to write a political song. I am not one of those that feels compelled to write about what’s going on.” – Stephen Stills
Oh. Okay. What club was that again?
With all due Respect Mr.Eshelman,not sure what you are trying to convey but, if you believe what our Government is doing in the Caribbean is Honest and Right, then your part of the problem…
Which problem, ASpellman?
The problem with drug cartels running Venezuela and shipping tons of fentanyl laced cocaine into the U.S. that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year? Or the problem with the 30 or so Venezuelan rogue oil tankers, flying false flags and selling black-market crude in support of those cartels and other terrorist organizations?
Or the problem we have here at home with people who think that defending ourselves from all of the above is “…part of the problem”?
Good thing they kept Scott in the dark . . . they are probably cooking up an other frivolous lawsuit.
This deployment should not be discussed publicly before deployment just for common sense security practices.
Why is it being discussed before deployment?
Who leaked this?
Loose lips sink ships.
Discuss after the mission… when our forces are back to base, safe and sound.
Why no mention of the seized oil tanker? Call a spade a spade – Operation Southern Spear is more than a ‘war on drugs’, it is a ‘war for oil’! Another page in the Project 2025 playbook.
Anything that slows down the poison train is fine with me.
Interesting that the ‘drug problem’ from Afghanistan has stopped since withdrawing from that area and now the ‘drug problem’ has escalated from Venezuela… hmmm, do I sniff the stench of the CIA?
Brian and Guy,
It is also a seizure of proprietary Smartmatic software. Elections and real political power.
There are many levels to choking off the (oil and drug) money flows to the Syndicate. Which is based in Europe.
Their “sudden” deployment should not be viewed as unusual. This is what they train for. They are the “Green Mountain Boys”, who were the original minutemen. They’re always ready to go. We should all be very proud of them snd grateful. I know I am.
no threat to USA . USA has no right to be killing and stealing
You have to be kidding, Russell. The state of Vermont is overrun with material coming out of the Venezualian area that’s killing our kids. It really took off in Biden’s 4 years of taking up space and in hiding. Look at the thugs that are being roun ded up!!
And what you see is the tip of the iceberg . All of these thugs are armed, they are dangerous, and are in our area, all across VT.
Get a grip Russell!!!!!!
No threat? It may not be “imminent” in the traditional legal sense but >100,000 Americans dead annually from street opioid overdoses is most certainly a threat.
You could even call drug smuggling attempts an attack by the use of chemical weapons.
In the VDC lead-up piece, it states “How quickly the action shifted to Federal Control”
The minute those orders are cut at the Pentagon. where it all starts, Federal control is in place. The mobilization of the previous units over the years have been no different in terms of procedures before, during, and post mobolization , than this one was. those proticols and practices have been standard since the 1970’s, when this soldier was briefed annually on how mobil[zation goes. The cutting of those orders comes before the Governor may even know it is happening. In this case, because Scott is no fan of the current staff in charge in D C, I would guess that no one went out of their way to make the first call to him; and I would not blame them if that was the case.
SGM James B Hall {RET}
Service from 1963-1969; 1971-1994 VT -NH; VT ARNG
Thank you, Jim, for your sacrifice!!!!
I remember when the F-35’s arrived in Burlington written in True North Reports article about the locals complaining about the perceived noise and complained. Wonder what they think now. To me, the noise is beautiful meaning it’s a deterrent against the US is a source / force to be recognized with.
Amen Tom, VDC, Thanks be to God, is the only outlet that we can print the truth in VT.
The traditional papers are getting to be a waste of time.
May Guy and his staff have a very wonderful Christmas and New Year. Thank you Guy, for all you do, JBH