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    Adjutants general visit troops in Zabul province

    Adjutants general visit troops in Zabul province

    Photo By Maj. Nevin Blankenship | Maj. Gen. Daniel Long Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Green are presented propellers...... read more read more

    QALAT, AFGHANISTAN

    10.16.2011

    Story by Maj. Nevin Blankenship 

    116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

    ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Three National Guard Adjutants General visited the Virginia National Guard 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Forward Operating Base Lagman, Oct. 16.

    Maj. Gen. Daniel Long, Jr. and Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Green from Virginia, Maj. Gen. Myles Deering and Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Jensen from Oklahoma, and Maj. Gen. Kevin McBride and Command Sgt. Maj. John McDonough from Rhode Island visited the troops at FOB Lagman.

    The visit started with meeting the Zabul provincial Governor Alhaj Mohammad Ashraf Naseri at Forward Operating Base Smart, in downtown Qalat. After spending a few hours with Naseri the party traveled to FOB Lagman for a brief operations overview by Col. Blake C. Ortner, commander 116th IBCT and Combined Team Zabul.

    During lunch with the soldiers from the 116th IBCT, Long presented combat patches to four soldiers.

    “Giving soldiers their combat patch, makes me proud to be part of the National Guard,” said Long.

    Two of the soldiers receiving their combat patches were particularly significant, as they are both part of a special program where native language speakers have the opportunity to join the Army and apply both their language and cultural knowledge to assist their unit’s missions.

    After lunch the general’s went to the Tactical Unmanned Aerial System airstrip to watch an aircraft land and then watch one take off for its next scheduled mission. These important reconnaissance assets are in high demand for units throughout the theater or operations.

    “You are doing a great job here,” said Long. “I knew that you could do this on short notice.”

    “We have an outstanding team that was handpicked for this mission,” said Ortner. “It’s a testament to our Guardsmen to be doing the job that we are doing.”

    The 116th IBCT had just 60 days to prepare for their mission in Zabul province, requiring them to draw personnel from about 10 states to fill the required military occupational specialties under their new 2012 organizational configuration.

    “We are all very proud of the work you are doing here,” said Green. “It is very hard for National Guard soldiers to deploy and to balance the needs of being a soldier with their family, jobs and college.”

    The 116th IBCT is the first National Guard BCT to command all active duty and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.16.2011
    Date Posted: 10.18.2011 07:50
    Story ID: 78655
    Location: QALAT, AF

    Web Views: 194
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN