Photo By Master Sgt. Ashlee J.L. Sherrill | Hawaii Army National Guard commander, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Gary Hara (center left),...... read more read more
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PARWAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan – National Guard and Reserve leaders from various states visited service members at Bagram Airfield Feb. 2. BAF was their first stop during their visit to Afghanistan to check up on how their soldiers are doing.
“We wanted to visit the troops out in the forward areas just to make sure they understand we are looking out for them,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Gary Hara, Hawaii Army National Guard commander from Wahiawa, Hawaii. “When I go back, when I talk to their family members, I can tell them, ‘I just saw your Soldier; they are doing fine,’ and I can show them pictures.
“It’s hard for the families. They are just at their mid-tour now; morale starts getting low on the family side. It gets tough for them. So I want to get back and talk to them and let them know their Soldiers are doing well,” Hara continued.
“The adjutant general from our state has been wanting to get down to this (area of responsibility) to visit our soldiers and airmen for a while now,” said U.S. Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Robert Lee III, the senior enlisted leader of the Hawaii National Guard from Kaneohe, Hawaii.
Lee said he and Hara were visiting Co. B, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, while at BAF.
“We are really proud of our CH-47 unit,” said Hara of Co. B. The battalion is spread between four bases with the majority of the unit being in Kandahar, which he said he also plans on visiting during his trip.
“It’s good to see our higher command cares about us out here,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Fred Dona, a CH-47 flight engineer with Co. B from Honolulu, Hawaii. “I’m happy they came out to see what kind of environment we are in and what we are doing up here.”
Hara wanted to note that when he gets back, he’s going talk to all the families so they can be proud of their soldiers work.
| Date Taken: | 02.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.03.2011 21:54 |
| Story ID: | 64767 |
| Location: | PARWAN PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 61 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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