Guardsmen take "a little bit of home" to Afghanistan

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Elisabeth A. Matulewicz
  • 111th Fighter Wing
Approx. 160 guardsmen with the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, woke up early Sunday morning and boarded a flight headed to an undisclosed location in Afghanistan at the Willow Grove Air Reserve Station. Pa. July 27.  Friends and family showed up to support them and wish them well as they deployed to support the continuing war on terrorism. 

Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, Adjutant General of the Pa. National Guard, Maj. Gen. Stephen M. Sischo, Deputy Adjutant General of the Pa. Air National Guard, and State Command Sergeant Major Donald Shiner bid farewell to the guardsmen as they boarded the aircraft.

In attendance were: Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa. 13th District), Mr. Brendan Flynn (representing Congressman Patrick Murphy [D-Pa. 8th District]), and Representative Rick Taylor (D-Pa. 151st District). Several news and print media representatives were also present.

Since 9/11, the Wing has deployed several times in support of the war on terrorism, most recently a four month deployment which began in the summer of 2007.   This is the 111th's fourth wave of deployers sent to Southwest Asia this year.