28 In November 2020, Mr. Brannon Soter was welcomed as the first civilian, “Title 5” fire chief in the history of the fire department at the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard. Previously only available as an Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) role, Soter heard about this historic job opening through his chain of command.
When referring to federal technicians, Title 5 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) states that a civilian federal employee does not need to be a member of the military in order to hold a Title 5 position, whereas Title 32 and AGR roles require a military commitment.
In this instance, the 158th Fighter Wing s fire department previously only had the position of fire chief as an available opportunity for certain applicants. Previously, eligible submissions were limited to uniformed military members and uniquely required those members to maintain military status as a condition of employment. With the historic change to a “Title 5” role,