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March 3, 2008

R.I. National Guard commander visited Iraq

Maj. Gen. Robert T. Bray, who commands the Rhode Island National Guard, visited troops in Iraq during a six-day trip last month, the Guard said in a news release today.

Bray visited Rhode Island Army and Air National Guard members from Feb. 17 to 22. He spent time in Baghdad with members of C Battery, 1st Battalion, 103 Field Artillery Brigade. There, he was joined by Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Lafond of the 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Brigade, Rhode Island National Guard.

“The opportunity to visit our deployed soldiers and airmen and to see the great work they are doing and hear accolades about their contributions from their chains of command, only served to validate what we all know about our courageous Rhode Island National Guard members," Bray said in the statement.

“Clearly, the rebuilding of Iraq is well on its way," Bray said, adding that the missions of the Rhode Island units are playing "a large role in normalizing the life in each of their areas of operation. All Rhode Islanders should be proud of the work these modern day Minutemen are accomplishing."

In all, 388 Rhode Island Guardsmen are deployed for Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the Guard said.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

Bray and Lafond traveled with counterparts from the Wisconsin and Delaware National Guard.

Their first nights were at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait where they were met by an expeditionary wing mission support group commander, Lt. Col. John Bollard, of the 143rd Airllift Wing, Rhode Island Air National Guard. Members of the the Rhode Island Army Guard's D/126 Theatre Aviation Company, which flies C-23 Sherpa aircraft from Ali Al Salem, where also there to greet the contingent.

The group of Guard officials waited out aircraft-grounding sandstorms before flying to Baghdad International Airport on C-130 aircraft. While in Baghdad, the group received briefing from various officials at Multi National Force-Iraq Headquarters and U.S. Army Central Command headquarters. The group also visited troops serving in the Baghdad area and spent an evening dining with them after seeing their compound and learning about their mission, the news release said.

Travel restrictions prevented the group from visiting Rhode Island Army National Guard’s 169th Military Police Company serving in the Ar Ramadi area, the Guard release said.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 11:21 AM | Permalink

March 3, 2008

R.I. National Guard commander visited Iraq

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