Col. Frank Tantillo, right, commander of the Vermont National Guard's 86th Infantry Brigade-Mountain, and Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Campagne unfurl the brigade colors during a transfer of authority ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Tam Le/U.S. Army)
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — A new Army National Guard unit took over the training of Ukrainian forces in Bavaria this week amid the latest breakdown in peace talks seeking to end Kyiv’s 4-year-old war with Russia.
Approximately 150 soldiers from the Vermont Army National Guard’s 86th Infantry Brigade (Mountain) replaced a Tennessee National Guard cavalry regiment Thursday during a change of responsibility ceremony at Tower Barracks, an Army statement said.
The Vermont-based troops, collectively known as Task Force Alpine, arrive on a nine-month rotation to train Ukrainian forces in joint maneuvers and combined arms at 7th Army Training Command facilities and ranges.
Col. Frank Tantillo, commander of the Army’s only true mountain brigade, vowed to bring toughness, adaptability and teamwork to the role.
“We understand operating in demanding terrain, complex conditions and uncertain environments,” he said. “We’re going to take this forward.”
Brig. Gen. Terry Tillis, leader of the training command, lauded the outgoing Task Force Saber and encouraged the mountain troops to support the Ukrainians as they try to wrest back territories that are “rightfully theirs.”
“We have a very dynamic mission,” Tillis said. “Don’t settle for what we just did before. I want you guys to be innovative, think outside the box and take it to the next level.”
National Guard members from Tennessee and Vermont stand at attention during a Joint Multinational Training Group–Ukraine transfer of authority ceremony in Grafenwoehr, Germany, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Tam Le/U.S. Army)
Rotating National Guard units have trained Ukrainian troops for more than 10 years as part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine mission, which falls under U.S. European Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine.
The operation relocated to Germany in 2022. Since then, more than 23,000 Ukrainian military personnel have received instruction across 47 platforms and special events, the statement said. The efforts have been hailed as a crucial factor in Ukrainian success.
Ukrainian chaplains, for example, are participating in a two-week course at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in rural Bavaria, 7th Army Training Command spokeswoman Lacey Justinger said Thursday.
Russia has been accused of sponsoring a campaign of surveillance and sabotage in European nations that support the Ukrainian war effort, either by providing material support or through the training of its armed forces.
Three dual German-Russian nationals were convicted in October of charges related to their work with a Russian intelligence agent.
They were accused of spying on U.S. military bases in Germany, including Grafenwoehr, and plotting attacks on U.S. troops to disrupt NATO logistical support. The ringleader was sentenced to six years in prison.
In addition, countries including Poland and Belgium, both of which host a significant U.S. troop presence, have seen suspicious fires, railway attacks and drone sightings. Those events have often spurred accusations that Russia is waging hybrid warfare against Ukraine’s backers.
Earlier this week, trilateral peace talks in Switzerland involving the U.S., Ukraine and Russia ended with Kyiv and Moscow still far apart on the issue of territorial concessions, which the Kremlin is demanding as one of its conditions for a ceasefire.
