Hometown Military News: July 10, 2015

Posted on July 10, 2015

Hometown Military News for July 10, 2015:

Freedom Salute ceremony for Decatur-based unit that deployed to Africa

SPRINGFIELD – Approximately 10 Illinois Army National Guard Soldiers will be recognized July 11 by the National Guard Bureau Freedom Salute Campaign for their sacrifice and service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The ceremony for Detachment 36, Operational Support Airlift will be at 11 a.m. at Camp Lincoln, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield.

The unit mobilized in July 2014 and deployed to Djibouti, Africa, for approximately nine months. The eight pilots and two flight operations noncommissioned officers returned home individually throughout the month of April.

Detachment 36 flew Beechcraft C-12 Huron aircraft to conduct operational airlift support missions in seven different countries in eastern Africa. Their mission included transporting more than 600 personnel and more than 75,000 pounds of cargo as directed by the commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

The unit conducted more than 200 missions, encompassing more than 1,000 hours of aircraft flight time and covering more than 250,000 nautical miles.

Detachment 36 previously mobilized in October 2010 and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Freedom Salute Campaign program is a small way to show these patriotic citizen-soldiers, their families and employers how much their sacrifice is appreciated. The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. It is designed to publicly acknowledge Army National Guard soldiers and those who supported them while deployed.

Click here to see WJBC’s Hometown Military News archive.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…