The 77 th Combat Aviation Brigade Farewell Ceremonies May 10, 2016 and May 27, 2016 Pictorial Report to supporting organizations: Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims Colonial Dames 17 th Century Daughters of the American Revolution United States Daughters of 1812 United Daughters of the Confederacy By Sheila Beatty The 77th Combat Aviation Brigade, of the Arkansas National Guard held a deployment ceremony for approximately 40 members and their families on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at 9 a.m. at the Army Aviation Support Facility located on Robinson Maneuver Training Center in North Little Rock. The Soldiers of the 77th Combat Aviation Brigade departed from their headquarters at Robinson Maneuver Training Center in North Little Rock for their mobilization station at Ft. Hood, Texas for the first leg of their nine-month deployment to Kuwait and other locations in the Middle East. Their mission in Kuwait will be to conduct security, cooperation, joint exercises and training. This deployment is in accordance with the United States longstanding bilateral defense cooperation with Kuwait, and this partnership promotes security, stability, and our mutual interests in the region. The 77th last deployed overseas to Iraq in 2011. The remaining soldiers of the 77 th will follow in about two weeks. On May 9 th, I received notification Arkansas would be sending 40 members of the 77 th CAB to Kuwait. Sending a quick email, two ladies were able to assist in being there for the soldiers and their families passing out stick Flags to family/friends and also pocket Flags and Star thank you cards to the deploying soldiers as they boarded their bus. Linda Howell of the Gen. T.J. Churchill Chapter, UDC, and Mary Ellen Laursen of the Baseline-Meridian Chapter U.S.D. 1812 responded. We were met at the Camp Robinson Visitor s Center at the main gate by our friend Col. Keith Moore and escorted in. We quickly got to work passing out the Flags. This was Linda Howell s first time at a deployment. 1
We gave out about 100 Flags. We noticed these soldiers were much younger and they were leaving many small children. Mary Ellen and Linda stood at the door of the bus and thanked the soldiers for their service and gave them the pocket Flags and Star Thank You Cards. Little Rock Tours was chartered to take the soldiers to Fort Hood, TX, about a 12 hour drive with stops. After the soldiers left we were told about 200 to 250 remaining soldiers of the unit would be leaving on May 27 th. We were honored to get this information and we were instructed the date was not for distribution via social media. 2
After returning home a request for 84 dozen cookies (ladies this is 1,008 cookies) was sent out to the Sons & Daughters of the Pilgrims, Colonial Dames 17 th Century, United States Daughters of 1812 and the Gen. T.J. Churchill Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy. Help was also solicited by Mary Ellen to Akansa Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. Linda Howell accepted responsibility for gathering the cookies in Little Rock; Sheila and Mary Ellen gathered the cookies for Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village. Mary Ellen reserved the conference room at the Diamante Country Club for Thursday, May 26 th, for packaging the cookies and trail mix (made by Mary Ellen), in paper sacks, sealed with a thank you card from the organizations. Sons & Daughter of the Pilgrims Arkansas State Governor, assisted in the assembly line packaging the goodies. Mary Ellen grabbed her neighbor Keith to be the official stapler. All he wanted to do was play golf, but no one can say no Mary Ellen. Our ladies came through with 1,464 cookies 122 dozen; more than enough to make packages of treats for 244 soldiers. We also had rum balls and brownies made. Cash donations were also received which was used to buy 1,000 4x6 stick Flags. So, for those of you who donated cash, each Flag you see in the pictures of this report was made possible by you - thank you ladies. We gave 990 stick Flags to friends/family and some either chose not to take one, or had their own. We wanted each of the soldiers to have a pocket Flag and requested Sylvia Matthews, who is the most proficient, to fold Flags. In two days she folded 300 - and this was in-between her coordination of the AFF Golf tournament fund raiser to buy adaptive sports equipment for disabled veterans and leaving for a well-deserved vacation. Thank you Sylvia. Any of you who have folded these Flags know it is not easy and most people cannot do it. We gave 200 pocket Flags. Due to increased security since the original deployment of May 10 th, clearance information for each Daughter/Dame who would be assisting at the deployment had to be submitted 24 hours before the 27 th. I want to thank these ladies who rose at about 5:00 a.m. on the 27 th to say goodbye and God Speed to the 77 th : Nancy Luehring Regent, Akansa Chapter NSDAR May Ellen Laursen Vice-President, Baseline-Meridian Chapter U.S.D. 1812 Cathy Carr Akansa Chapter, NSDAR Beverly Holloway Gen. T.J. Churchill Chapter, UDC Linda Howell Gen. T.J. Churchill Chapter, UDC Sheila Beatty Col. John Washington Chapter President, CDXVIIC 3
Nancy Luehring left Mary Ellen Laursen, right Linda Howell I m ready Even though not feeling well after a late night plane arrival, Cathy Carr was enthusiastic passing out the Flags with a smile 4
Right: We have met this Mom before at a previous deployment. She now has five children and her husband is deploying again. 5
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This baby is three weeks old and his daddy will be gone for nine months. 7
We were pleased to see our old friend BG Patricia Anslow (although out of uniform). Tricia told us she would be deploying to Kosovo in the next few months. The Arkansas National Guard will also be deploying more troops to Africa and Cuba within the next few months. Tricia Anslow with our friend Col. (Ret) Anita Deason, Military & Veteran Liaison for Senator Boozman. It seems we are always seeing Anita at any event for our Veterans or Military. The ceremony began, then the soldiers and families waited for the buses to arrive. The soldiers had been there since 7:45. 8
9 With Col. (retired) Karen Gattis.
There were several mothers also deploying. Our boxes of cookies ready to load on the buses. Beverly and Linda a pensive moment yes it can be emotional. 10
There were five buses, but one was delayed. Each of our Daughters were stationed at the door of the bus to say thank you and give a pocket Flag to the boarding soldiers. The four buses left and due to commitments, Linda, Beverly, Nancy and Cathy left also. Mary Ellen & I, as well as the remaining soldiers and their families, waited for the 5 th bus to arrive. 11
The soldiers, who had been at the base for four hours were becoming hungry and we started giving out our sack of goodies. We had plenty. Finally the bus arrived around 12:30. All of us agreed that any sacks of goodies left over would be taken to St. Francis House, the homeless shelter for Veterans. After lunch, Mary Ellen & I headed there but she requested we make a stop at the National Veterans Cemetery to see if there had been Flags placed for Memorial Day. We found five men placing Flags on 27,000 graves. We stopped and started to help them. They reported they usually have hundreds of school children helping them, but this year they did not. We stayed there two hours and estimate we placed over 500 Flags. We then went to St. Francis House. It was a long, but very patriotic day and fitting for Memorial Day weekend. Through the generosity of our Dames/Daughters, we helped to make the send-off the 77 th CAB special. Thank you all. Sheila Beatty 12