Kansas National Guard Battalion Being Welcomed Home From Horn of Africa
KSCB News - February 18, 2012 2:20 pm
The second of three groups of soldiers from the Kansas National Guard�??s 1 st Battalion, 161 st Field Artillery and 35 th Military Police Company will be welcomed home from their year-long deployment to the Horn of Africa on Monday, Feb. 20, in Topeka, Kan. The ceremony will begin at 12 p.m. at Forbes Field Hangar 662, 190 th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas National Guard.
Ceremony date and time for the third group will be sent out as soon as available. The first group of approximately 160 soldiers was welcomed home on Feb. 9.
The ceremony will honor approximately 175 soldiers who spent the last year conducting stability operations in Africa to strengthen partner nation and regional security capacity for long-term regional stability, and to prevent conflict and protect U.S. and Coalition interests.
The unit deployed March 2, 2011, after training at the Kansas Regional Training Center, Salina, Kan.
“Although the Horn of Africa is thousands of miles from Kansas, distance makes no difference when you have a job to do,�?� said Maj. Gen. (KS) Lee Tafanelli, the adjutant general. “That job was to help secure regional stability, and they did it very well. So now we say, �??Thank you for your service, One-Six-One, and welcome home!�?? �?�
�??It has been my pleasure to serve with the professionals of the 1 st Battalion, 161st Field Artillery,�?� said Lt. Col. Thomas Burke, commander of the 1-161 st FA. �??Throughout this deployment, they have endured the personal sacrifices to enable the safety of U.S. and Coalition personnel and equipment abroad while successfully conducting over 50 military mentoring missions in nine African countries.�?�
The battalion is headquartered in Wichita, with subordinate units in Dodge City, Great Bend, Lenexa, Liberal, Hutchinson, Newton, Paola, Pratt and Topeka. The unit leadership is Lt. Col. Thomas Burke, commander and Command Sgt. Maj. Ricky Matticks.
The 1 st Battalion, 161 st Field Artillery was the second Kansas National Guard unit sent to the Horn of Africa since 2010.
