Thunderbirds Start the New Year Giving Thanks

Photo By Staff Sgt. Anthony Jones | Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team unload a bus donated by the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes in Norman, Oklahoma on Dec. 22. The busses brought the 45th Soldiers home to Oklahoma from Fort Bliss, near El Paso, Texas for a four day holiday pass before the Soldiers deploy to Ukraine in support of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Anthony Jones, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team)  

FORT BLISS, TX, UNITED STATES

01.01.2017

Story by 1st Lt. Kayla Christopher 

45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

Nearly 250 deploying Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard received an incredible gift this holiday season. They were able to spend Christmas with their families and it was all thanks to the community.

The Citizen-Soldiers, many of whom belong to 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, are currently conducting pre-mobilization training at Fort Bliss, Texas, but were able to travel back to Oklahoma to see their families using donated charter buses.

Gary Batton, Choctaw Chief and Bill Anoatubby, Governor of the Chickasaws worked through the Oklahoma City Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to donate the buses. Col. Bobby Yandell and Staff Sgt. Brent Oakes, both tribesmen and Oklahoma Army National Guard Soldiers coordinated the transportation through VFW representative retired Maj. Larry Marcy.

John Roberts, a native of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, drove one of the buses that helped carry the Thunderbirds home. He mentioned that this is not the first time he’s driven for the troops and that it’s always very emotional. “I’ve always felt it’s a big honor, I volunteer for these,” said Roberts.

The holiday leave was a welcomed break for the Soldiers who have been working long hours and weekends in preparation for their upcoming short-notice deployment.

The Oklahoma Guardsmen are preparing to deploy in support of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine. The training mission will pair the infantrymen with allies and partners from Canada, the U.K., Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine. Their mission includes training Ukrainian Armed Forces battalions in defensive and security tasks, but their overall goal is to help the Ukrainians establish a Combat Training Center similar to the training centers the U.S. Army operates in the states.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations, the VFW, and to all who were involved for volunteering their time and resources to help our Soldiers. We couldn’t do what we do, as the Guard, without the support of the community,” said Col. David Jordan, commander of the 45th IBCT.

After the holiday break, the Citizen-Soldiers returned to Fort Bliss where they continue to train. Members of the 179th will conduct the JMTG-U mission for one six-month rotation and will later be replaced by their sister battalion, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th IBCT. Members of the 45th IBCT Headquarters and Headquarters Company will remain in Ukraine for the majority of 2017.

• Date Taken: 01.01.2017
• Date Posted: 01.01.2017 08:25
• Story ID: 219179
• Location: FORT BLISS, TX, US