OKLAHOMA CITY – The more than 800 Oklahoma Army National Guard Citizen-Soldiers of Task Force Tomahawk are returning safely to Oklahoma after a nine-month deployment to the Horn of Africa, with the last group of Guardsmen arriving at Will Rogers Air National Guard Base on Friday .
The Soldiers who arrived in Oklahoma late Friday night were the latest group of Guardsman from the task force to be welcomed home in a series of ceremonies that began on February 22.
Task Force Tomahawk deployed in May 2023 in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, where Guardsmen provided security at locations in Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and shore security for US Navy ships while in port. The task force also conducted training exercises in Tanzania, Madagascar, Kenya and other East African nations in support of CJTF-HOA’s crisis response mission.
Spc. Preston Porter, a reconnaissance team leader deployed to Somalia, said he was proud of the work he and his fellow Soldiers did while deployed, but was overjoyed to be reunited with his daughter.
“I was worried she wouldn’t remember who I was because she was so young when I left,” Porter said. “She remembered me and I was able to hold her and that’s what I’ve been waiting for all year, so it was a good feeling.”
Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Mancino, the commanding general for Oklahoma, helped welcome the first group of Soldiers home and said the ceremonies are a great way to celebrate returning heroes and recognize the struggles families face while deployed Guards.
“This is an opportunity to share with family members, especially young children whose father or mother has been gone in the last year,” Mancino said. “We thank the families of our Guardsmen. A lot of times we look at Soldiers and thank them for their service, and that’s certainly right, but behind the scenes, there are always people who sacrifice to allow each of these Soldiers to do that.”
In addition to thanking the families, Mancino reminds Oklahomans that while the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are over, the Oklahoma National Guard continues to deploy Guardsmen around the world, often in dangerous places.
“These young men and women were about 20 to 30 miles from Yemen and the Houthis, and a lot of people don’t realize how close they were at risk,” Mancino said. “So I’d like to bring the attention of Oklahomans and again, thank these Soldiers for the sacrifices they’ve made.”
While welcoming Task Force Tomahawk home and praising those Soldiers for a job well done, Mancino also praised the Soldiers and Airmen of the Oklahoma National Guard who continue to deploy around the world.
“The Oklahoma National Guard has been deployed more than at any time since 2012,” Mancino said. “We have soldiers and airmen operating around the world in a bad way. In any given month, we will be on three to four different continents, and these young men and women continue to step up. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Download date: | 03.01.2024 |
Shipping date: | 03.02.2024 08:13 |
Story ID: | 465110 |
Location: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, USA |
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