[caption id="attachment_4896" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan 7) --Family members and friends celebrate the homecoming of the Kentucky Air National Guardsmen who deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Bagram, Afghanistan (Photos courtesy of Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs)."]
CONTACT: Lt. Col. Kirk Hilbrecht, 502-352-8008
Photos courtesy of Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs
KEH
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan 7, 2011) - - The Kentucky National Guard welcomed home approximately 28 of its Airmen today who deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The Kentucky Air National Guard deployed five C-130 aircraft and approximately 160 Servicemembers in early November to serve as part of the Central Command’s Air Expeditionary Force air-package in Bagram, Afghanistan.
“I’m proud of these Kentucky Guard Airmen,” said Maj. Gen. Edward W. Tonini, adjutant general for Kentucky. “This was such an important mission and our guys made a huge impact over there.”
The Kentucky Guardsmen worked alongside other Guard units from Missouri and Wyoming, conducting tactical lift operations and airdrops to resupply troops in remote areas throughout Afghanistan.
The 123rd Airlift Wing has deployed countless times in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as supporting both state-side and overseas disaster relief missions.
The Kentucky National Guard currently has more than 500 Soldiers and Airmen deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Nearly 14,000 troops have been mobilized for the War on Terror since 2001.
[caption id="attachment_4898" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan 7) --Family members and friends celebrate the homecoming of the Kentucky Air National Guardsmen who deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Bagram, Afghanistan (Photos courtesy of Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs). "]
[caption id="attachment_4899" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan 7) --Family members and friends celebrate the homecoming of the Kentucky Air National Guardsmen who deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to Bagram, Afghanistan (Photos courtesy of Kentucky National Guard Public Affairs). "]
See more pictures of the redeployment at our Flikr site
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyngpao
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See related links here:
OTHER RELATED LINKS
Courier-Journal.
Air National Guard wing begins return from Afghanistan
WDRB FOX41.
Kentucky Air Guardsmen return from Afghanistan
WAVE3.
KY National Guard return from deployment