National Guards 182nd Soldiers Become Civilians Again

The Impact Of War
SAT MARCH 31, 2012
Home Front: Soldiers Become Civilians Again

Members of the 182nd Infantry Regiment sit through a briefing at Camp Atterbury during the demobilization in Columbus, Ind. Tom Dreisbach / NPR

By EDITOR Over the next year, Weekend Edition will be spending time with the men of the National Guard's 182nd Infantry Regiment as they make the transition from soldiers to civilians in a series called "Home Front."

 We first met the soldiers of the 182nd Infantry Regiment of the Army National Guard about a week ago, on an airport tarmac. They had just landed in the United States after wrapping up a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. The plane touched down in Indiana in the middle of the night. It was raining, but the soldiers bounding down the stairs couldn't have cared less. They were almost running, pausing only when they realized a couple of one-star generals were standing at the bottom of the stairs ready to welcome them back to the U.S. The 600 or so soldiers filed into a noisy airport hangar, their backpacks and M-4 rifles in tow. Under the drone of fluorescent lights, an officer shouted instructions. read more here

The National Guard Needs Your Help

The National Guard Needs Your Help

Sen. Ron Wyden
U.S. Senator from Oregon
Posted: April 21, 2010 07:45 PM

When the first members of Oregon's Army National Guard began returning from Iraq last weekend family, friends and neighbors literally lined up to welcome them home. 110 motorcyclists escorted the caravan of buses along a route lined with Oregonians holding signs to show their support. Parents, spouses and children rushed to embrace their loved ones, while elected officials -- such as myself -- offered words of thanks for the ten months these brave men and women spent serving their country in harm's way. I hope Oregon's Guard got the message that we are grateful for their service and glad to have them home safe.

Oregonians aren't the only ones who recognize the extraordinary service and sacrifice of their state's National Guard. For decades these scenes have repeatedly played out across the country as reservists and guardsmen and women have increasingly been called on for extended deployments. During the Vietnam War 3,000 reservists and guardsmen were called to duty. For Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 267,300 reserve component service men and women were called to service. Current Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq had already involved more than 760,000 guard and reservists.

However, unlike active duty service members -- who come home to military bases and the jobs and support systems that they provide -- once the fanfare of homecoming subsides, returning Guard members are in many instances left to face the increasingly stark reality of transitioning to civilian life on their own.
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The National Guard Needs Your Help

PTSD I Grieve

Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 11, 2009

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