In 1968, the 50th Armored Division was reorganized to draw its units from New Jersey and the Vermont Army National Guard.

Between 1975-76 Vermont and New Jersey armor battalions started turning in their M48A3 tanks and began receiving the M48A5 which had the same 105mm gun and fire control system as the M60A1 in use by the active Army.

During this time, many Vermont tank crews competed in gunnery exercises held in West Germany and consistently brought back awards.

While under the 50th Armor Division, Vermont's 1st and 2d Battalion, 172nd Armor of the 86th Brigade excelled at tank gunnery and field exercises, making the 86th Brigade the only Army National Guard unit to ever consistently accomplish Tank Table XIII, an honor it continued to earn even after the 50th AD inactivated.

[citation needed] Due to further military consolidations, the 86th Brigade turned in its Abrams tanks in 2006 and ended its Armor designation just short of 40 years.

[33] The division's infantry battalions were equipped with M113 armored personnel carriers, of which the National Guard had 6,870 at the end of Fiscal Year 1987, with a further 1,411 due to be taken in service in 1988.