Photo By Staff Sgt. Camille Lienau | U.S. Soldiers and Airmen with the Massachusetts National Guard were deputized as...... read more read more
WASHINGTON – Despite chilly temperatures and blustery winds, National Guard members on duty in Washington remain highly motivated, said unit leadership.
About 700 members of the Massachusetts and Vermont National Guard who make up Task Force Freedom are working throughout the city helping local and federal law enforcement secure key sites.
While some members of the Vermont National Guard were already in place since Jan. 17, about 580 of their counterparts from Massachusetts arrived Jan. 26 and began working the following night.
1st Lt. Thomas Meyer, a platoon leader with the Vermont Army National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 172nd Cavalry Regiment, said morale is high and the members of Task Force Blackjack, which is a part of TF Freedom, are effortlessly working together, even though they are from three different units - including members of the 186th Brigade Support Battalion, which is also from Vermont, and the 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment from Massachusetts.
“I’ve been thoroughly impressed,” Meyer said, adding that his home unit “has above average motivation as a rule,” and the other Soldiers have fit right in.
This was evident, Meyer said, as the task force trained with members of the U.S. Secret Service to check response times in case of an incident. The Soldiers eagerly embraced follow-on training to enhance their skill set.
“This is great because there were minor problems, but now we can work on it,” Meyer said, adding they reviewed how to improve their actions following the brief drill.
Capt. Erik Lahr, commander of TF Blackjack, said the drill re-enforced the training and kept Soldiers sharp. He added they all have integrated and work as a team, regardless of unit or military specialty.
Other elements of TF Freedom rehearsed and trained on the National Mall, under the shadow of the Washington Monument, and within the Ronald Reagan Center, Friday.
Capt. Louis Williams, of the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 1166th Transportation Company, who oversees TF Freedom’s B Company, said it was exciting to see how members of the task force have integrated with the U.S. Secret Service. He added that training together only strengthens the unit.
Col. Peter Fiorentino, commander of Task Force Freedom and the Massachusetts Army Guard’s 151st Regional Support Group, expects the same level of motivation and professionalism from all Soldiers and Airmen working together as part of the response effort.
“I’ve been speaking with the troops,” Fiorentino said. “They seem very motivated so far and they should be. After all, they are making history.”
| Date Taken: | 01.29.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2021 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 388489 |
| Location: | DC, US |
| Web Views: | 161 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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