Top officer of Vermont National Guard plans to retire

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - The Vermont National Guard’s top officer says he will retire next year.

Maj. General Steven Cray says he plans to retire next year rather than seek another term as Adjutant General. The Burlington Free Press reports Republican Gov. Phil Scott announced Cray’s plans to retire at a press conference Friday.

Guard spokesman Lt. Mikel Arcovitch says Cray had long planned to step down by the end of his two-year term.

Cray was first elected to the position in 2013, winning re-election in 2015 and 2017 without opposition. The Adjutant General oversees the state’s nearly 4,000 members of the Guard, plus the Guard’s civilian employees and the state’s Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com