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Vice president welcomes troops home from Iraq

By Jason B. Cutshaw
December 9, 2005

FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Army News Service, Dec. 9, 2005) -- Vice President Richard B. Cheney welcomed New York National Guard Soldiers of the 42nd Infantry Division back from Iraq Dec. 6 and also thanked 10th Mountain Division troops at Fort Drum for their effort in the War on Terrorism.

Nearly 3,000 Soldiers and family members gathered to welcome the country’s No. 2 official at Fort Drum’s Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield Tuesday.

“It is pretty neat to have the vice president recognize the Soldiers who have come and gone in these two great divisions,” said 1st Sgt. Mark Martin, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry). “It is exciting for the Soldiers to see the nation’s second in command and be appreciated.”

Two divisions lead fight against Terrorism

The 42nd Infantry Division recently redeployed from a one-year tour supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. While in Iraq, “Rainbow Division” Soldiers killed or captured hundreds of known terrorists and provided security, allowing the Iraqi people to participate in free and democratic elections.

Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division were among the first forces in Afghanistan and have been constantly deployed around the world ever since.

“Hard Soldiers are trained here in the North Country,” Cheney said as he and he and his wife Lynne met with Soldiers and their families in a hangar after Air Force Two landed. “And Fort Drum is one reason the U.S. Army in the year 2005 is the finest Army ever fielded.”

Cheney thanks Soldiers, families

“Whether the job is dragging mortar tubes through waist-deep snow at 9,000 feet in the foothills of the Himalayas in Afghanistan, or conducting raids up staircases in urban Iraq, you know how to take the fight to the enemy and get the job done right,” Cheney said.

While thanking Soldiers, he also thanked the ones who support those warriors in war and peace.

“Military service often requires a great deal of commitment and sacrifices by families,” Cheney said. “On behalf of the president, I thank the family members who are here today, and I want you to know that all Americans appreciate the sacrifices of our military families.”

“We’re also grateful to the historic group of Soldiers that Douglas MacArthur called the ‘Rainbow Division,’” Cheney said. “The 42nd Infantry Division headed to Iraq and became the first Army National Guard division headquarters to deploy into combat since the Korean War. They have conducted thousands of raids and search missions, killed and detained terrorists, helped train Iraqi forces and provided security for the constitutional referendum in October. Fighting the War on Terror requires skilled, well-trained units of the National Guard, and the ‘Rainbow Division’ is one of the best.

Cheney re-enlists 20 Soldiers

After the vice president spoke to the crowd, 20 Soldiers had the honor of being re-enlisted by Cheney. The Soldiers are Sergeants 1st Class Richard Tuttle and Joshua Harvey; Staff Sgts. Turpin Neath and Aaron Rombough; Sgts. Paul Vollmer, Jason Mattioli, Jason Carvel and Roudy Desir; Spcs. Joseph Lepes, Patrick Leone, Steven Lauderdale, Lars Thompson, Ronnie Paaschi, Christopher Kelley, Shaun Hendricks, Marveye Harper, Andrew Delange, Cidi Stroud and Michael Bichon; and Pfc. Andrea Gbotoe.

After re-enlisting the troops, Cheney met with Soldiers and family members of the 42nd ID in a town hall-style meeting, where he thanked them for their service and answered questions before leaving the North Country.

“I was honored to meet Mr. Cheney in person,” said Sgt. Matthew Hale, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion. “He made me feel appreciated and that someone cared when it seems in the press that no one does. He reminded me to be proud to be a Soldier and never forget that it is me and my fellow Soldiers who help keep America free, and no one can take that for granted.”

“Seeing Mr. Cheney is really cool,” said 12-year-old Zack Carter, son of 1st Sgt. Nicolas Carter, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment. “I am missing school to see the vice president, but my teacher will think it’s really cool too.”

(Editor’s note: Jason B. Cutshaw serves as a Fort Drum Blizzard newspaper staff writer.)