Connecticut National Guard Troops Welcomed Home

HARTFORD ? About 100 members of the Connecticut National Guard were welcomed home on Saturday in a ceremony that officials say marks the start of a string of homecomings bringing all of the state's reserve troops home by November.

Family and friends waving American flags sat in the State Armory on Saturday morning, just months after their soldiers had returned home from deployment.

These two returning units will soon be joined by five others, near 500 troops, coming home to Connecticut by November, said commander of the state's National Guard Maj. Gen. Thaddeus J. Martin.

It will mark the first time since March 2003 that the Connecticut National Guard will not have troops deployed in the War on Terror, Martin said. The next troops to be deployed will be mobilized in February 2014.

"Well done, mission accomplished, and welcome home," he said.

The 1109^th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group out of Groton and the Military Working Dog Detachments of Newtown were both mobilized in June 2012. This was the third deployment for the soldiers of the 1109^th, working on repair of Apache, Blackhawk, Chinook and Kiowa helicopters and providing aviation logistics support in Southwest Asia.

The members of the Working Dog Detachment were sent to Qatar, where they participated in 20 missions detecting explosives, and also provided support to the 4,500 soldiers, contractors and local nationals at Camp As Sayliyah.

Calling the state's National Guard the "best of America," U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal noted that less than one percent of the country's population are serving in the military today.

"This war has been fought by the few brave men and women who are our greatest patriots," he said.

Sen. Chris Murphy said the helicopters that the 1109^th maintains are the "warhorses" of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Also pesent at the ceremony were Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney and Elizabeth Esty and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman.

The fact that the state's reserves are on the path to coming home "is an amazing statement about where our country is in general in Afghanistan," said Courtney.

Source: http://hartfordcourant.feedsportal.com/c/34278/f/623611/s/2f3c8265/sc/20/l/0L0Scourant0N0Ccommunity0Chartford0Chc0Enational0Eguard0Eceremony0E0A7280E20A130A7270H0A0H35215420Bstory0Dtrack0Frss/story01.htm

phil mickelson von miller nate robinson ryan braun BBC Selena Gomez royal baby