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105th Airlift Wing Hosts Army Guard Deployment

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Michael OHalloran
  • 105AW / Publlic Affairs
STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. --  The 105th Airlift Wing once again hosted an Army going-away ceremony on Sunday March 9, as the 115 men and women of the New York Army National Guard's 1569th Transportation Company bid goodbye to 600 guests.

The ceremony was held in one of the giant hangars built to house the C-5A Galaxy's the wing used to operate. The hangar's ability to house a large number of people out of the winter weather made it ideal for this event, explained, 1st Lt. Tara Pipia, the event organizer.

The 1569th Soldiers will spend a year away from home, heading to Afghanistan in May following post-mobilization training in Fort Hood, Texas.

This is the third farewell event the 105th Airlift Wing has hosted. The Army Reserve's 411th Engineer Brigade held a farewell event at Stewart in April 2012, while the New York Army National Guard's 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion used the facility when more than 400 Soldiers said goodbye in August of that year. In those cases the units went right from their hangar and the farewell event, onto a charter aircraft heading for their post-mobilization training station.

Students of the Cornwall Central Middle School grade choir performed for the attendees, and USO entertainer Brittneyanne Accetta sang the Star Spangled Banner during the Posting of the Colors. A small contingent of Guardsmen with the Manhattan based 42nd Infantry Division Band, provided ceremonial music.

After the official ceremony, the Guardsmen and their family members were treated to a lunch catered by the Shop Rite Corporation. Later that afternoon the troops boarded aircraft and departed from Stewart International Airport for training at Ft. Hood based in Killeen Texas.

VIP's at the ceremony included Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, N.Y. 18th congressional district and the City of Newburgh Mayor, Judy Kennedy. Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, who also serves as a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserves and New York Naval Militia, was the guest speaker.