Category Archives: National Guard

SOUTH BURLINGTON — Business leaders have gathered 11,000 petition signatures in support of a plan to base F-35 jet fighters at the Vermont Air Guard Base in South Burlington.
Frank Cioffi of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce says the signatures reflect widespread regional support for the proposal. The petitions were placed in stores and gas stations in northwestern Vermont.
Vermont Public Radio reports the chamber is asking the City Council in South Burlington to reverse its previous vote that rejected locating the jets at the base, which is at Burlington International Airport.
Neighborhoods have been concerned about the noise level. The chamber maintains the Guard is an important economic asset to the region.

SOUTH BURLINGTON — Republican U.S. Senate candidate John MacGovern is going to be outlining his position on the debate about whether the U.S. Air Force should equip the Vermont Air National Guard with F-35 fighter planes, which would be based at the South Burlington airport.
MacGovern is planning to discuss the issue with reporters Thursday in South Burlington.
The Air Force is in the process of deciding where it will base the next generation fighter plane. The base at the South Burlington airport is one of the finalists.
Some local residents are opposed to basing the planes in Vermont.
MacGovern’s opponent in the November election, independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, favors bringing the planes to Vermont.

SOUTH BURLINGTON — The possible arrival of F-35 fighter jets at the Burlington International Airport will be the topic of discussion at St. Michael’s College.
The college is hosting a “conversation” on the topic Wednesday at 7 p.m..
Some neighbors are opposed to the fighter jets being based at the Vermont Air National Guard facilities.
The Burlington Free Press reports that Tom Torti, president of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Frank Cioffi, president of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corp. and of Cynosure, the economic development corporation for Chittenden County, will speak in support of the proposal.
Rosanne Greco, a retired Air Force colonel and current chairwoman of the South Burlington City Council, and Jim Dumont, a Bristol attorney representing property owners, will speak against the basing.