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Guardsmen take "a little bit of home" to Afghanistan

By Tech. Sgt. Elisabeth A. Matulewicz, 111th Fighter Wing / Published August 06, 2008

Senior Airman Sara E. Schwartzberg, 111th Maintenance Squadron, and her teddy bear wait alongside of approx. 160 guardsmen from the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, deploying from Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. to Afghanistan on July 27 to support the continuing war on terrorism.
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Senior Airman Sara E. Schwartzberg, 111th Maintenance Squadron, and her teddy bear wait alongside of approx. 160 guardsmen from the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, deploying from Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. to Afghanistan on July 27 to support the continuing war on terrorism.

Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, Adjutant General of the Pa. National Guard, bids farewell to Senior Master Sgt. Frank L. Rabena, Jr., 111th Aircraft Maintenance Sq. and approx. 160 guardsmen heading to Afghanistan from the 111th Fighter Wing, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. July 27 in support of the continuing war on terrorism.
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Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, Adjutant General of the Pa. National Guard, bids farewell to Senior Master Sgt. Frank L. Rabena, Jr., 111th Aircraft Maintenance Sq. and approx. 160 guardsmen heading to Afghanistan from the 111th Fighter Wing, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. July 27 in support of the continuing war on terrorism.

Senior Airman Megan T. Cobb, 111th Logistics Readiness Sq. spends her last moments with family before deploying with 160 guardsmen to Afghanistan from the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. July 27 to support the continuing war on terrorism.
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Senior Airman Megan T. Cobb, 111th Logistics Readiness Sq. spends her last moments with family before deploying with 160 guardsmen to Afghanistan from the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. July 27 to support the continuing war on terrorism.

Family and friends wave goodbye to approx. 160 guardsmen from the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, as they board an aircraft from the Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. headed for Afghanistan to support the continuing war on terrorism July 27.
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Family and friends wave goodbye to approx. 160 guardsmen from the 111th Fighter Wing, Pa. Air National Guard, as they board an aircraft from the Willow Grove Air Reserve Station, Pa. headed for Afghanistan to support the continuing war on terrorism July 27.

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WILLOW GROVE AIR RESERVE STATION, Pa. -- 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.