Vermont Air National Guard leadership held no one accountable for past abuses

By Jasper Craven
Feb 16, 2020

On Jan. 5, Col. David Shevchik Jr. took command of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing.

A native Vermonter, Shevchik replaced Col. David Smith, who retired after more than 30 years in the organization. Shevchik was born in Springfield and grew up in Essex. He graduated from Rice Memorial High School in South Burlington before attending the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. As a pilot, Shevchik racked up more than 2,000 flight hours on the F-16 — first on active duty and then inside the Guard, which he joined in 2007. He has since held a series of senior Guard positions including Maintenance Squadron Commander, Fighter Wing Inspector General and Operations Group Commander.

Shevchik enters this role at a pivotal time for the organization. His most immediate challenge is facilitating a total transition from the F-16 fighter jet to the F-35. This work has required extensive remodeling of the Guard’s facilities and exhaustive retraining by airmen on all levels.

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