News Editorial: Support our troops

This year the Wyoming Army National Guard will deploy about 300 soldiers in operations across the world, the largest deployment in 10 years.

According to the WANG, it’s been almost a decade since Wyoming sent about 700 soldiers overseas.

The brigade-sized element was augmented by guardsmen from five other states, most of whom performed non-routine jobs such as convoy support into Iraq, or mayor cell duties on the various military bases in Kuwait.

According to Lt. Col. Charles Thompson, the state’s mobilization readiness officer, the plan for the 2019 deployment, so far, is for all the units to deploy to the Central Command area of responsibility.

“That could be Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan or United Arab Emirates,” said Thompson. “The units are set to perform their standard missions.”

Included among the “about 300” are 14 soldiers from the Big Horn Basin, six from Worland. The Northern Wyoming News would like to let our readers know exactly who is deploying but that information can only come from the soldiers’ themselves.

We have reached out to one family and asked them to send word to the others.

They can contact us at 347-3241 or via email at [email protected].

While the May deployment has 14 of the Big Horn Basin’s finest being deployed there may be more in other deployments. There may be others in other armed forces also serving overseas. We’re also happy to share that information if the soldiers agree and contact us.

Why would we want to announce the names? For several reasons, first to recognize them for their service to our country and second so the community can keep them specifically in our thoughts and prayers.

Wyoming and the Big Horn Basin as long as I have been alive have supported our troops. I can’t speak beyond that. I know troops serving overseas were not always shown appreciation in our country, including those who served in Vietnam and Korea.

Whether you agree with sending our troops overseas or with the United States’ foreign policy, our troops deserve our thanks and our respect.

While men over 18 still have register for the draft, our military is a volunteer military at the present time. Men and women are volunteering to serve their country, whether it’s helping out during national disasters, at our own borders, or overseas. They volunteer, they train and they are prepared to deploy in service to their country.

So as the 2-300th gets set to deploy let’s remember them and thank them, along with all of our brave men and women serving in all branches of military service.

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Worland’s Support Our Troops organization is a true example of supporting our troops all the time. They meet the first Thursday of every month at the American Legion. Volunteers are welcome. The recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance opens the event at 6:30 p.m. sharp and then the volunteers begin filling boxes for the troops.

Donations of food, fun and funds, are welcome. Snacks can include jerky, granola bars, fruit bars, small tubes of Pringles, and, of course, home-baked goods are always appreciated. Non-food items can include paperback books, magazines.

Donations may be dropped off at Legion.