Sandston-based Task Force Punisher gathers for Freedom Salute honoring service in Iraq - May 20, 2012

Approximately 300 Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Sandston-based 2nd Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, 91st Troop Command, along with family, friends and employers, gather at the Richmond Convention Center May 20 to conduct a Freedom Salute in honor of their service in Iraq. Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Marla Graff Decker joined Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long, Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, in thanking the Soldiers for their service and also presented a certificate of recognition signed by Gov. Bob. McDonnell. The Soldiers officially began federal active duty Feb. 25, 2011, and they served in Iraq from April to December 2011. They trained at Fort Hood, Texas, for approximately 60 days prior to deploying to Iraq. The battalion, also known as Task Force Punisher, mobilized more than 400 Virginia and Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers for duty in Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn with the mission of conducting air assault and combat support aviation operations in order to facilitate combat, peacekeeping and sustainment efforts to build a secure and stable environment in conjunction with the Iraqi National Government. The Punishers were one of the last three U.S. military aviation assets to depart Iraq. They flew more that 16,500 combat flight hours during more than 1,800 combat missions while performing split-based operations from seven different locations. The battalion executed an average of 15 missions per day and flew more than 30,000 passengers, and they planned and executed multiple direct action air assault missions that were instrumental in reducing the number of attacks on United States forces.