Virginia Guard unit holds Freedom Salute to honor service in Afghanistan -- Aug. 14, 2011

Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Virginia Beach-based 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group gathered Aug. 14, 2011 at the Hilton in Norfolk to conduct a Freedom Salute in honor of their service in Afghanistan. The 529th deployed to Afghanistan from Fort Hood in May 2010 and operated from the remote forward operating base at Shindand Air Base, Regional Command – West in Afghanistan where they pioneered logistical support operations as the first U.S. combat support battalion to locate in the area and conduct operations. The battalion was responsible for building an expeditionary life support complex and infrastructure for the entire airbase while providing seamless sustainment operations for supported units as well as helping improve quality of life and promoting economic development in local Afghan communities.

Working directly with Italian, Spanish, Slovenian and Afghan forces, the unit’s mission is to provide supply, maintenance and transportation support to U.S. and coalition warfighters throughout the region that covers the four large western provinces of Herat, Farah, Badghis and Ghor.

Most of the Soldiers in the unit are from the Hampton Roads area, but about 15 Soldiers are from the Richmond area, approximately 10 are from the Southwest Virginia area and five are from the Northern Virginia area.

The battalion provided command and control for more than 500 Soldiers from three active duty units to accomplish their mission: the 104th Transportation Company from Fort Benning, Ga., the 183d Maintenance Company from Fort Carson, Colo., and the 226th Quartermaster Platoon from Fort Stewart, Ga.

The battalion had no Virginia Soldiers killed in action or wounded in action by hostile enemy action.

Capt. Jaden W. Stapleton of Sterling was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for combat actions while serving in Afghanistan, and 1st Lt. Philip Lacey of Staunton and Staff Sgt. David Maw of Virginia Beach were awarded the Combat Action Badge.

The battalion held an end-of-tour awards ceremony March 11 and presented the Bronze Star Medal to Lacey and Maw as well as Capt. Lindsey Hodgkins, Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Witcher and Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Perdieu for exceptionally meritorious service during the deployment. More than 60 Army Commendation Medals were also awarded, and all Soldiers received the NATO International Security Assistance Force Medal for service in Afghanistan.