Photo By Sgt. Joe Roos |
Zack Billjan helps Sgt. Keith Allred cary his ruck sack during a welcome home......read moreread more
Photo By Sgt. Joe Roos | Zack Billjan helps Sgt. Keith Allred cary his ruck sack during a welcome home celebration for the Roseville-based 347th Personnel Services Detachment June 17, 2008 at the Roseville Armory. see less
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By Sgt. Joe Roos, 34th Infantry Division Public Affairs
ROSEVILLE, MINN - As friends and family filed into the Roseville Armory and lined the street leading to the building June 17, anticipation began to build for the return of the contingent of Soldiers.
Children drew pictures and messages on signs for each of the 14 individual Soldiers from the second returning chalk of the 347th Personnel Services Detachment.
As the procession leading the busload of Soldiers approached, it was clear that the number of Soldiers returning was of no consequence to the high esteem in which they were held. State patrol squad cars with their lights flashing wildly and Patriot Guard Riders with flags on the backs of their motorcycles rumbled up North McCarrons Boulevard to escort heroes home. As the procession neared the armory, the awaiting crowd erupted.
Enthusiastic applause from family members carried on for a seemingly endless amount of time before the bus doors finally opened and the Soldiers exited.
Most of the attention was focused on the families and friends who were reunited and welcomed home. However, feats of the 347th PSD during its deployment are truly remarkable.
During the PSD's 12-month deployment to Kuwait, the 14 Soldiers from the Roseville-based unit provided administrative support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
They provided briefings to service members arriving to and departing operational areas, maintained their records, produced identification cards, updated Soldiers' family information and tracked all incoming and outgoing Soldiers and civilians in operational areas. They provided briefings for 81,000 service members deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and operation Enduring Freedom. The Soldiers also provided 3,100 Soldiers with military identification cards.
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