JAMESTOWN, N.D. (AP) - Members of a North Dakota National Guard unit are back in their home state after nearly a year in Iraq. MORE STORY BELOW VIDEO
Video from KCSI TV The Replay Channel
The 104 members of the 817th Engineer Company arrived at Jamestown airport shortly after 7 a.m. Their chartered planes were about 45 minutes ahead of schedule.
Guard officials did their best to notify families of the early arrival, and nearly 1,000 people turned out to welcome home the troops.
The Guard says the soldiers from the 817th represent more than 40 communities across North Dakota. They arrived in Kuwait last September and then went to Iraq to be part of combat patrols and scout supply roads for bombs and obstacles.
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Additional Information supplied by the ND National Guard:
NUMBERS
104 Soldiers in unit
91 Soldiers returned Saturday June 7, 11 Soldiers had returned earlier for Non Commissioned Officer Enlisted schools and two Soldiers will return to Wisconsin and Colorado
67 deployed at least once before
Nearly half deployed with the 141st Engineer Combat Battalion from December 2003 through March 2005 as the “original” Trailblazers in Iraq
Cleared 119 IEDs during this tour, clearing around 82,000 kilometers of roadway
Conducted over 575 combat patrols
Unit has earned fifteen Bronze Star Medals, Four Meritorious Service Medals and ninety Army Commendation Medals
Unit has earned twenty-nine Combat Action Badges this deployment.
Soldiers in the 817th have earned forty more Combat Action Badges in OIF II bringing the Company total to 69 total Combat Action Badges earned (66% of the Company). The unit also has fifteen more Combat Action Badges awaiting approval.
DEFINITIONS
Sapper – French term (later British) associated with combat engineers; U.S. Army uses term to describe engineers that facilitate movement of friendly forces and impede enemy movement
Trailblazers – patrol main supply routes (MSRs) for obstacles that may impede movement of personnel and supplies (food, ammunition, mail, etc.); primary “obstacle” is improvised explosive devices
dictionary definition: “a person or group that leads and shows the way for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness”
Combat Engineers – Traditional tasks for combat engineer units include emplacing and breeching obstacles, mine/countermine emplacement and detection, procedures to enhance survivability of tanks/infantry/artillery, and general construction
FACTS
demob took place at Fort McCoy, Wis.
Commander: Cpt. Craig Hillig, West Fargo
Top enlisted Soldier: 1st Sgt. Dave Huber, Lemmon, S.D.
Soldiers come from nearly 40 cities across North Dakota and into four other states (HORs listed in Lemmon, S.D., Excelsior, Minn., Reno, Nev., and Menifee, Calif.)
North Dakota HORs include Jamestown, Fargo, Mayville, Lisbon, Edgeley, Devils Lake, Bismarck, Wahpeton, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Hannaford and numerous others
· The 817th and 815th Engineer companies were alerted for possible mobilization on Feb. 16, 2007. The units from Jamestown, Edgeley, Wishek and Lisbon combined to serve together as the 817th
