Family Farewells
This morning was the official start of the Iraq deployment for members of the Indiana National Guard C-23 unit. The Adjutant General for Indiana, Major General Umbarger, conducted a brief send-off ceremony at Indianapolis International Airport for unit personnel and family members. 
My family was in Tennessee, so I was spared a gut-wrenching departure with my girls. Since the media is never one to miss emotional goodbyes, the local FOX News channel was also in attendance. The unit loaded into two aircraft and departed together under a “water arch” sprayed by the airport fire department.
The last time I was at Ft. Dix, New Jersey was for Basic Training in 1987--now it
is the mobilization site for Company D, 126th Tactical Air Command (TAC). Ft. Dix will be our primary base of operations until we deploy overseas in December. The post has not changed much in the last 18 years. After hauling equipment up to the 3rd floor of our 3-man barracks room, I remembered why I never took the time to visit. It beats sleeping in the field…but that will come soon enough.
My family was in Tennessee, so I was spared a gut-wrenching departure with my girls. Since the media is never one to miss emotional goodbyes, the local FOX News channel was also in attendance. The unit loaded into two aircraft and departed together under a “water arch” sprayed by the airport fire department.The last time I was at Ft. Dix, New Jersey was for Basic Training in 1987--now it
is the mobilization site for Company D, 126th Tactical Air Command (TAC). Ft. Dix will be our primary base of operations until we deploy overseas in December. The post has not changed much in the last 18 years. After hauling equipment up to the 3rd floor of our 3-man barracks room, I remembered why I never took the time to visit. It beats sleeping in the field…but that will come soon enough.
posted by Mission First at 7:12 PM
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