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Pilots and crews of the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing returned home Sunday from a deployment that began before last Christmas and saw the unit fly missions in two hemispheres.
The F-35A Lightning II unit went from one combat theater to another, first in operations in the Caribbean and South America and then directly to the Middle East for Operation Urgent Fury.
More than 200 members of the unit were part of the two-mission, nine-month deployment.
“Today is about welcoming our Airmen home and recognizing the extraordinary commitment they and their families have demonstrated throughout this deployment,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. Henry Harder Jr., the adjutant general of Vermont.
“Our Airmen answered when our nation called, and their families carried an equally important burden here at home,” he added. “I am incredibly proud of all of them and grateful to everyone who stood behind them throughout their time away.”
Harder shared the contribution of the wing to current operations during a presentation [www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3SM_cwaYns] to the 148th General Conference & Exhibition.
Throughout the deployment, the Vermont Guard and wing maintained resources for deployed members and their families through unit leadership, chaplain services, and military and family readiness programs, according to a Vermont Guard press release.
Those efforts will continue through the reintegration process as Airmen transition back to their families, civilian careers and communities.
“For months, our Airmen remained focused on the mission while their families carried on at home,” said Col. Michael Blair, the wing commander. “Their professionalism and resilience throughout this deployment have been remarkable. Our focus now is giving our Airmen and their families the time and space they need to reconnect and reintegrate.”
Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, was on hand for the welcoming ceremony at the unit’s base in South Burlington, Vermont.
“Thank you for your service, tenacity and the sacrifice you and your families made for our nation. Outstanding job, 158th,” Nordhaus said.
-By John Goheen
