Virginia Guard unit holds Freedom Salute to honor service in Iraq - Jan. 9, 2011

Virginia National Guard Soldiers from the Lynchburg-based 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team will gather Jan. 9, 2011 at the Hotel Roanoke at 10 a.m. to conduct a Freedom Salute in honor of their service in Iraq. Approximately 300 Soldiers from the battalion returned to Virginia Aug. 25 after serving in Iraq since March 2010. A group of approximately 70 Soldiers from the battalion returned to Virginia Aug. 17.

The Freedom Salute will recognize the Soldiers, their families, employers and organizations that contributed significantly to supporting the unit during its deployment.

The battalion operated out of Contingency Operating Base Adder in Southern Iraq with the mission of securing resupply convoys along the main supply routes in the central, southern and northern sectors of Iraq in order to prevent anti-Iraqi Forces from disrupting theater sustainment operations. The Soldiers began their tour on federal active duty Jan. 5, 2010, after having just over sixty days notification about their deployment and trained at Camp Shelby prior to deploying to Iraq.

The 1st Battalion headquarters is in Lynchburg, and the Bedford and Farmville-based Company A and the Lexington and Clifton Forge-based Company B were officially mobilized for duty. Soldiers from the Christiansburg and Radford-based Company C and the Pulaski and Martinsville-based Company D also took part in the mobilization.

The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history, designed to publicly acknowledge Army Guard Soldiers and those who supported them during the President's call to duty for Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

As part of the Freedom Salute ceremony, the Soldiers are scheduled to receive the Virginia Governor’s National Service Medal. The medal was created in 2005 by then-Governor Mark R. Warner to recognize the service of the men and women of the Virginia Army and Air National Guard called to active federal service since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The award was first presented Nov. 11, 2005 at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond.

“The 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry has a rich tradition of service here in Virginia and overseas, and your success in this mission adds another chapter that should make every member of your unit feel a great sense of pride,” Gov. Bob McDonnell wrote in a letter to the Soldiers of 1st Battalion after they ended their mission Aug. 8. (Full text of Governor’s letter is copied below)

The unit was scheduled to be on federal duty until December 2010, but their mission was curtailed as they were tasked to assist in the responsible draw down of U.S. forces in Iraq.

"No other unit, active or reserve, is asked to deploy with only 60 days notice and then performs a difficult and dangerous mission without incident or injury,” said Lt. Col Scott Smith, commander of 1st Battalion. “As we were leaving, both the general officers who served as our division-level commanders told me that they regretted we were included in the draw down because of our excellent record and professionalism. This is a reputation that should make the Commonwealth proud and is worthy of our battalion's rich history.”

Soldiers were organized into convoy escort teams operating Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, and the teams provided security for convoys that transported hundreds of personnel, supplies and equipment from different units in United States Forces-Iraq to other destinations such as combat outposts, convoy security centers and COBs throughout the country.

The battalion completed 278 convoy escort missions travelling more than 172,300 miles and transported in excess of 120 million gallons of fuel and 900 thousand short tons of supplies without any injuries. Convoy escort teams reacted to 22 enemy attacks from small arms fire, indirect fire and IED detonations.

“We had one of the highest utilization rates in theater and we kept our CET’s out on the road every day, despite the challenge of not having our own organic mechanics or motor pool section,” said Maj. Christopher Samulski, the battalion operations officer. “In a way, we did what every Guard unit [does], we took advantage of the fact that many of our riflemen have civilian training as mechanics. Despite the fact that none of them had ever worked on an MRAP before, we ended up with a 90% operational readiness rate during our time here. This is an amazing accomplishment, and I am very proud of the work they have done here.”

The battalion last mobilized for peacekeeping duty in Kosovo from August 2006 to November 2007. Many Soldiers in the battalion were previously mobilized for duty at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from November 2002 to September 2003 when the unit was designated 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion are no strangers to stepping up to answer the call of duty. Right after the unit's drill weekend in February 2008 welcoming Soldiers back from a year of duty in Kosovo, more than 100 Soldiers went on state active duty to assist with the firefighting efforts in Southwest Virginia. Soldiers from the battalion also geared up to provide support in anticipation of Tropical Storm Hanna in early September 2008. Approximately 250 Soldiers assisted the Secret Service with the operation of security checkpoints along the President Obama inauguration parade route.

Approximately 130 1st Battalion Soldiers from Bedford, Clifton Forge, Covington, Christiansburg, Lexington, Pulaski, Salem, Radford and Roanoke were assigned to Company C, 3d Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team for combat duty in Afghanistan from March 2004 to July 2005. Other individual Soldiers from the battalion have taken part in mobilizations throughout the state.