Photo By Maj. Travis Mueller | U.S. Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat...... read more read more
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AVOCA, Pa. -- About 200 Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers returned from a nine-month deployment to the Middle East Dec. 21.
The Soldiers, from 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, departed Pennsylvania March 4. They began returning to the U.S. on Dec. 9 and have been demobilizing at Fort Bliss, Texas, since then.
“I am incredibly pleased to be able to bring them home to their families and loved ones before Christmas,” said Lt. Col. William Ault, commander of 1-109th Infantry. “What a wonderful present for their families as well as them. Many have experienced the births of their first child during this tour, and it is special indeed to come back a little early so they can share the holidays instead of missing them as so many others are in the service of our nation and others across the world.”
The Soldiers deployed in support of Multinational Forces and Observers, an international peacekeeping organization that helps supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. They were split across several locations within MFO’s footprint, which is primarily in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
During the deployment, the Soldiers worked with troops from 13 other nations, including Fiji, Colombia, Canada, Australia, Britain, New Zealand and Japan.
They performed a variety of tasks, including command and control in operations centers, observation, and reporting from remote site locations, Ault said.
“We also performed a wide array of force-protection tasks, ranging from base security to mobile escorts and patrols,” Ault said. “Some in our formation maintained mission-critical force-protection vehicles and equipment, and others worked in information collection and assessment duties to maintain situational awareness for the Force Command team.”
Ault praised the Soldiers for their performance during the deployment.
“The Soldiers of Task Force Iron, not only from the 109th Infantry, but other formations across the state and, in some cases, other states and reserve components, did a splendid job with a challenging set of tasks in an unfamiliar context,” Ault said. “Most of our careers are spent training to conduct warfare, and this mission used our skills in a different manner, as servants of peace rather than instruments of war.”
Since the inception of the MFO mission, there has been a rotational U.S. infantry battalion serving in the Sinai, Ault said. Task Force Iron, as the 70th rotation, continued this proud tradition of active involvement in the peacekeeping operation in the region, he said.
“During our rotation, we witnessed the 40th anniversary of this mission, which has evolved significantly since its inception,” Ault said. “The diversity and integration gave all of us an opportunity to grow both personally and professionally.”
| Date Taken: | 12.22.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2022 09:32 |
| Story ID: | 435747 |
| Location: | AVOCA, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 302 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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