Alaska Air National Guard Troops Begin Three-Month Deployment to Afghanistan

The troops from the 176th Wing will be doing airlift operations in support of ground troops in Afghanistan.

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By Sean Doogan

Story Created: Jun 1, 2011 at 4:50 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 1, 2011 at 8:01 PM AKDT

This afternoon, 140 troops from the Alaska Air National Guard boarded C-130’s and headed into the fog at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

They left for a three-month long deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In the past, the Air National Guard, a citizen soldiery, has been the last resort for military commanders.

But after the attacks of Sept. 11, things changed.

"We talked about serving one weekend a month and a couple of weeks during the year for active duty camp, and that really is a past that the Air National Guard no longer lives in. We train regularly, we train constantly," said Brigadier General Chuck Foster, the unit’s commander.

For local families, the constant deployments can mean a lot of goodbyes.

The Bitzer family said goodbye to its second oldest son today, and soon, the father will deploy with the Army for one year – this will be his sixth trip to a war zone.

The troops from the 176th Wing will be doing airlift operations in support of ground troops in Afghanistan.

They are slated to return sometime in late August or early September.

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ark Crownheart said on Thursday, Jun 2 at 8:27 PM

Alaska has fires, Native people that call themselves homeless so that they can drink in a ditch, illegal immigrants pillaging our country and we send our national guard off to Afghanistan??!! This country is a joke!! Thanks Obama--Hope and change what a liar. I hope you change Mr. Obama Change out or step down as Commander in Chief ..You are a joke. Borders, Language, Culture. This is what you work on Mr. President. Muslim President go away ...back to where you came from...Give me MY country back. You are a Liar and a thief,

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