NEW CASTLE, Del. - A deployment ceremony was held today for members of the Delaware Army National Guard’s Company F, 126th Aviation Regiment who depart this month for Kuwait in continuing support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Delaware has had at least one unit continuously deployed since 2007 and has often times had more than one, as is the case now.
Despite the ongoing focus towards removing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Delaware National Guard units continue to be called on to run and support OEF missions. Key units such as Delaware's 126th Aviation unit serve a critical role in supporting the gradual withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan.
“Due to the cycle of deployments, the Army requested that the National Guard fill a slot and the DEARNG through the NG Bureau was poised to fill that request,” said DEARNG deputy chief of staff of operations, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Bradford F. Knight.
The 126th will actually be taking over the position, although not the job, of another Delaware unit currently deployed to Kuwait, allowing that unit, the 238th Aviation Company to return home early.
That early return and the request from Army to fill the void early pushed the training schedule for the 126th up by six months, a significant challenge to overcome, but one the unit met head on.
“I am very confident in the unit’s training and their ability to accomplish the mission,” said detachment sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Henry Szubielski. “They’ve worked hard under a shortened timeline, but everyone stayed positive.”
That shortened timeline impacted not only the soldier’s training, but the time they had to spend with their families as well.
“It was tough to deal with for everyone,” said Szubielski, “because you lose a lot of time that should be family time.”
Lisa Smith, wife of Staff Sgt. Philip Smith, said that she couldn’t remember how many times her husband had deployed, but that this time was not as hard as the last when he deployed to Afghanistan.
“We’ll have Skype and email and phone calls when we can get them,” Smith said.
Smith and other family members also recognized the support they gain from groups such as the Family Readiness Group that meets regularly to assist and provide camaraderie for the families of deployed service members.
While deployed, the Company F, 126th Aviation members will be providing aeromedical evacuation and overwater personnel recovery support in the theater of operations.
Their deployment is expected to last one year.