Rosanne Greco has entered the race for adjutant general. Credit: Kevin J. Kelley

A vocal critic of the decision to base F-35 fighter jets in Vermont announced Monday that she will seek the position of adjutant general.

Rosanne Greco, a retired Air Force colonel and former chair of the South Burlington City Council, said she decided to seek the state’s top military post after several female legislators encouraged her to enter the previously male-dominated race.

Greco said her opposition to the F-35s, the first of which are expected to arrive this fall, would make her an excellent candidate because now is the time for the Vermont Air National Guard to be asking the question others might not.

“What could possibly go wrong? A whole lot could go wrong, and you want to know what those things are,” Greco said.

Her opposition to the fighter jet has been and remains its safety record, which she called questionable, the impacts of the noise around Burlington International Airport, and the health risks of working around aircraft made of dangerous composite materials.

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What the Guard needs now is someone willing to address these problems instead of a leader who will “salute smartly” and follow orders, Greco said.

“I would continue to tell the truth to my bosses whether they like to hear it or not,” she said.

Greco is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Montpelier to discuss her candidacy. She’ll also testify along with other candidates at 4 p.m. before the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs.

The other three candidates are Col. Greg Knight, an active duty guardsman and resident of Huntington; David Baczewski, a retired Air Guard brigadier general and resident of Westford; and David Graham, a retired Army lieutenant colonel from Grand Isle.

The legislature is expected to elect a new adjutant general February 21.

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Kevin McCallum is a political reporter at Seven Days, covering the Statehouse and state government. An October 2024 cover story explored the challenges facing people seeking FEMA buyouts of their flooded homes. He’s been a journalist for more than 25 years, winning awards for everything from environmental and government reporting to sharing a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of wildfires at the Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif. He lives in Waterbury Center with two goats and two teenagers.

15 replies on “F-35 Critic Rosanne Greco Enters Race for Adjutant General”

  1. Barbara,
    What are your credentials to judge what would make “a great commanding officer”? Additionally it should be remembered that even commanding officers must follow orders, and the Guard’s job now is to implement, not obstruct, the F35 beddown.

  2. Roseanne Greco is a woman of tremendous courage, compassion, and knowledge. She would be a great commanding officer who would speak truth to power while protecting Vermont’s most populous county and listening to the voices of the communities that have weighed in on the F-35, unlike our congressional delegation and Miro Weinberger. When all of the towns that are most closely in the path of the F-35 have voted against it, it would be nice if our elected officials in Montpelier listened to those who voted. Her credentials are stellar.

  3. How can Rosanne Greco lead our State’s National Guard when she is so venomously opposed to its mission? That’s like hiring a Priest to run Planned Parenthood !!

  5. A lot of the men at the top probably don’t want her there, which is a sign that she should be there.

  6. What good news to at least have the chance at positive change, I applaud Ms. Greco for her courage. It’s long past due for more women to be in leadership positions in the military. The stories about VT’s Guard have been horrifying and the misbehavior from leadership on down that’s been tolerated and encouraged for so many decades is inexcusable.

  7. The statement in this article; “Her opposition to the fighter jet has been and remains its safety record” is incorrect, her objections are political. In her commentary to VtDigger Ms. Greco opined ” We can demand a change in the mission of our Vermont Air National Guard. We can demand a mission that is more in alignment with Vermonters values. I cannot imagine Vermonters wanting our Guard to destroy and kill innocent people in our name; I can certainly imagine Vermonters wanting our Guard to save lives and to rebuild societies.” There has been no end of misinformation from Ms. Greco and the anti-F35 crowd, claiming the money for a weapon system comes out of retirees’ and veterans’ pockets was a particular doozy (they’re two different cabinet agencies, their monies never touch), but her position on the mission of the particular airframe in Burlington is really telling. She knows what she is saying is a straight up lie, but says it anyways to get what she wants. She knows that her audience is largely ignorant of military matters and leverages that ignorance to both promote herself and to advance her political agenda.

  8. If they want a competent woman then nominate Martha Rainville. The guard does not need a Grecco as the aDJ General.

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