The commander-in-chief of the Wisconsin National Guard and other senior Guard leaders paid tribute to a group of Soldiers that recently returned from a deployment to the Middle East during a Feb. 12 Freedom Salute ceremony in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.
Soldiers and families from the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment got an early present this year as almost all of the Soldiers of the unit made it home just in time for the holidays.
The first two waves of returning Soldiers from the West Bend, Wisconsin-based 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation are now back safely in the United States after a seven-month mobilization to Kuwait.More than half of the unit returned to Fort Hood, Texas, Dec. 12-14, with the remainder to return at a later date yet to be determined.
The medevac business is a little slow these days, but the mission continues around the clock for Wisconsin Army National Guard members of the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment currently deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.The West Bend, Wisconsin-based Soldiers have been working alongside National Guard Soldiers from Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska since mobilization training began in June at Fort Hood, Texas. In order to ensure Army helicopter assets are distributed across the nation, it is not unusual for aviation units to have companies — or detachments of companies — spread across numerous states.
Approximately 30 Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment will deploy to Kuwait this spring as part of Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield.The unit, based in West Bend, Wisconsin, will deploy Soldiers from Companies C, D and E of the 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation for the mission where they will provide helicopter medevac assets and maintenance support to American personnel operating in the region. The battalion is made up of National Guard aviation units spread across Colorado, Nebraska and Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Soldiers will deploy as part of a larger aviation task force being sent to the region.
WEST BEND, Wis. — Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin adjutant general, and Wisconsin National Guard senior leaders joined families and friends in sending off approximately 30 Wisconsin Army National Guard members of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment during a May 30 ceremony.The Wisconsin Army National Guard Soldiers will complete mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas, before deploying to Kuwait where they will conduct a medevac and maintenance support mission for approximately 12 months as part of Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Spartan Shield. They will train and deploy alongside Guard members from other states — the battalion's aviation units are located in Colorado and Nebraska as well as Wisconsin, as part of the National Guard's plan to have vital aviation assets available across the nation.
