The First Kansas Volunteers are coming home today!
Welcome home, Roger and the rest of ya!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 7, 2006
No. 06-118
2nd BATTALION, 137th INFANTRY COMING HOME NOV. 9
Approximately 450 soldiers of the Kansas National Guard?s 2nd Battalion, 137th Infantry (Mechanized) will be welcomed home to Kansas on Thursday, Nov. 9. The ceremony which is tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m. (See Note) will be held at the Kansas Expocentre, 1 Expocentre Dr., Topeka.Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the adjutant general, will greet the soldiers and welcome them home after their year-long deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The public is encouraged to attend and support the soldiers as they return from their deployment.
The soldiers will be released to join family and friends at the conclusion of the ceremony.
The battalion is headquartered in Kansas City, Kan., and has units in Wichita and Lawrence.
While in Iraq, the unit was responsible for operating the Joint Visitor?s Bureau (JVB) in Baghdad and for providing security for the many high level visitors that pass through Iraq. They were also responsible for area security for the JVB and areas near Baghdad.
Approximately 350 soldiers from the battalion were mobilized to Germany in 2002 for force protection duty under Operation Enduring Freedom.
NOTE: The 2 p.m. time is based upon current travel arrangements for the unit. Due to unforeseen circumstances this time could change.
Message from the Gov:
November 9, 2006
Our nation will pause once again on Saturday, November 11 to honor the veterans who have served our nation and the cause of freedom.
All across our state, communities will stop to reflect and remember our military veterans and what their service means to us and to our nation. This year it is especially relevant to do so since so many American men and women are in harm?s way overseas.
In Kansas we have a proud tradition of supporting our veterans, and I have been privileged as governor to hold a Veterans Day ceremony inside our Capitol each year to honor those who have served. I hope you will join me for this year?s ceremony.
The traditional time for Veterans Day ceremonies is 11:00 a.m., but we have consciously set a 9:00 a.m. start for the Capitol ceremony so attendees can also attend other commemorations later in the morning.
Since this year?s ceremony will occur on Saturday, it provides an opportunity to bring family and friends to help honor our nation?s veterans. I look forward to seeing you on this important day, but if you?re not able to attend a Veterans Day ceremony, I?d ask that you pause for a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. in honor of our veterans? service.
Kathleen Sebelius
Governor of the State of Kansas
Myself and the Castle Vickers will be riding in the Leavenworth parade.
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