Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Jordan | Army Brig. Gen. Kenneth Beard, assistant adjutant general of sustainment for the North...... read more read more
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CLYDE, N.C. – Along a tree-lined road leading to the Campus of Haywood Community College (HCC), welcome signs glowed brightly with the message, glowing in red, ‘HCC Supports the 211th’. For this campus it is more than words, it is action.
“It is more personal when you know the student, their family and their kids,” said HCC Student Activity Adviser Laura Simmons.
The college hosted the North Carolina National Guard's 211th Military Police Company’s mobilization ceremony Sunday, Sept. 22, in the auditorium here.
Student Government leaders, college staff and even a 9-year-old child tied yellow ribbons to trees and hammered dozens of flags along the road leading to the auditorium to honor the soldiers for this event.
“It sends cold chills they are going to defend our country,” Genie Ashe, a HCC student government leader.
Holding flags about half his size, the 9-year-old son of Barbara Stuteville, HCC student government vice-president, helped his mother and others place the flags along the road before the ceremony.
“They are going to Afghanistan and we should show them some respect,” said her son.
The young boy received a look of admiration from his mom, “you know I think I raised you up right,” said Stuteville.
These efforts did not go unnoticed, even at the highest level.
“It is the little things that show the communities’ support,” said NCNG leader Army Brig. Gen. Kenneth Beard, assistant adjutant general for sustainment.
Friends, family, press, civic and business leaders filled the auditorium to honor the soldiers. A man wore a ‘Proud Grandfather of an Army soldier’ t-shirt, while a young mother cradled an 11-week old child, and there was nearly as much camouflage worn in the audience as there the soldiers of the company wore in ranks.
The community showed up with one purpose, to honor the soldiers who were their friends, family, business partners, and fellow students going to war.
“It is an honor that so many are here to see them off to war,” said Clyde Mayor Jerry Walker.
The more than 120 soldiers will deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Their mission is to conduct facility security operations at one of the major military bases there.
“Your mission will save lives,” said Beard.
This will be the unit's fourth deployment overseas and it’s second to Afghanistan since 2002. The 211th has been deployed previously in support of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
Domestically, the 211th MP's have assisted emergency first responders and civil authorities in disaster relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and most recently supported the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in 2012.
The community has supported these missions with much more than just ceremonies.
“When my neighbors found out my husband was deploying they came by and prayed,” said Heather Beaver, wife of a deploying 211th soldier. “I am glad they did.”
The 211th will be deployed for approximately one year and will conduct follow on training at Fort Bliss, Texas before moving on to Afghanistan later this fall.
“No matter what the ‘Mountain Enforcers’ (the unit’s nickname) are always ready,” said the unit’s commander, Army Capt. David Parks.
| Date Taken: | 09.24.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 09.24.2013 14:16 |
| Story ID: | 114173 |
| Location: | CLYDE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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