Photo By Sgt. Emily Simonson | A Soldier with the 1-189th GSAB holds his family for the first time after returning...... read more read more
Helena, Mont. – The 240 Soldiers of the Montana Army National Guard’s 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion will begin arriving back in Montana on Oct. 24 from their year-long deployment to the Middle-East.
Approximately 120 members of the unit will arrive by charter flights at the Helena Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) on Sat., Oct. 24 at 3:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The remaining 120 members of the battalion will be arriving individually and in small groups on commercial flights at different airports throughout Montana before and after Oct. 24. Soldiers will be arriving at the airport nearest their homes.
“To ensure our COVID-19 compliance, the Soldiers will disembark the plane and immediately be paired with their families and return home,” said Maj. Gen. Matt Quinn, Adjutant General of the Montana National Guard.
For the Soldier arriving in Helena, only family members will be allowed into the AASF compound to receive their arriving family member or significant other.
“To ensure the safety of the arriving Soldiers, families, and the community we are complying with county, state and Department of Defense COVID-19 guidelines. This reception is a change from past experiences for all of us; however, the important point is that the Soldiers are safely returning to Montana and being greeted by their immediate family after the year-long deployment,” Quinn said.
The Helena community is being asked to refrain from attempting to enter the aviation campus on the day of the arrival as it may interfere with family members greeting their Soldier and traffic flow in the area. Individuals that want to show their support are asked to do so by practicing social distancing of groups, parking safely and remaining in their vehicles along Skyway Drive between the Helena Airport and the Aviation Campus.
“Flying Soldiers to airports near their home is another step we are taking to ensure we minimize potential exposure of the public and our Soldiers,” Quinn said of the Soldiers flying into other locations around Montana.
The 1-189th GSAB departed Montana in October of 2019 and conducted operations throughout the Middle East; including Kuwait, Iraq and Syria. The battalion was a part of the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade from the Minnesota Army National Guard.
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.24.2020 19:31 |
| Story ID: | 381699 |
| Location: | HELENA, MT, US |
| Web Views: | 794 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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