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MANCHESTER, NH – The 368th Engineer Battalion held a farewell ceremony, here, at Grappone Stadium, on the Campus of St. Anselm College, in preparation for their deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 368th will be overseas for approximately one year.
Several dignitaries, including New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, Congressman Frank Guinta and Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith thanked the soldiers and their families for their dedication and service.
Community and family were large themes during the ceremony, as this was one of the last opportunities for the families and soldiers to see each other before the deployment. In their speeches to the soldiers, the dignitaries emphasized the importance of strong family and community relationships. Family and community support were indeed in abundance as was evident by the athletics stadium filled with family members, well-wishers and the overwhelming level of emotions throughout today’s ceremony.
Specialist Tamia Mungo, from Boston, Mass. said, “I’m nervous, anxious, and excited, just a lot of emotions.” This will be her first experience in an overseas operational environment. For many of the soldiers and their families, this is the first time they’re deploying overseas; however, their commander has a good deal of experience with deployments.
The Battalion Commander, Lt. Col Joseph Cox, from Epsom, NH, said that even after several deployments, leaving family and friends behind doesn’t get any easier. However, Cox believes that the battalion’s mission to support the local population of Kuwait will greatly benefit U.S. security, making the sacrifices worth it.
U.S. Army Chaplin Christopher Kraft said, “The mission is taking us a long way from home, but in many ways we’ll be better for it.”
Carpenters, plumbers, masons and equipment operators are all included in the compliment of the 368th. The battalion will conduct pre-mobilization training at Ft. Bliss, Texas before shipping out to Kuwait where they will perform construction management operations throughout the Middle East.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2016 22:50 |
| Story ID: | 199815 |
| Location: | MANCHESTER, NH, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, 368th Engineers Prepare for Depolyment with Ceremony in Manchester, by MSG Kenneth Upsall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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