Nebraska National Guard troop deploys to Middle East
99 troops were sent off by Gov. Pillen, Senator Ricketts
99 troops were sent off by Gov. Pillen, Senator Ricketts
99 troops were sent off by Gov. Pillen, Senator Ricketts
Sunday morning, 99 Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers left the state, heading to Texas for training.
The Beatrice-based guard unit was sent off by Gov. Jim Pillen and Sen. Pete Ricketts as they were surrounded by family and friends.
Soon, they'll deploy overseas to Kuwait, a country in the Arabian peninsula.
For Specialist Andrew Smith, he said enlisting gave him benefits he couldn't pass up on.
"Joining the Guard, I had, you know, family, grandparents, cousins, uncles that had all served before. And I wanted to help continue that lineage. But also I've got to be honest, just some benefits were really nice. And so getting to answer that call but also satisfy some personal goals, it's all been really rewarding," Smith said.
He said spending time in the Kuwaiti desert will be a big adjustment from the plains of Nebraska.
"I've been all across the country. Seen a lot of different environments. But Arabian peninsula is going to be a whole new beast," he said.
Gov. Pillen said their deployment was based on three pillars.
"Everybody here, it's about faith, it's about family, and it's about our service," Pillen said.
He says he's honored to represent Nebraskans as we send our own to the other side of the world.
"Being here for deployment, being a couple weeks ago for welcoming the troops home. I get goosebumps. It's off the charts. We're incredibly humbled to be able to say thank you to Nebraskans for service on behalf of Nebraskans," Pillen said.
Sen. Pete Ricketts said the young people enlisted show character.
"The young women and men who volunteer for the Nebraska National Guard do it knowing that they will get deployed on missions like this one. Because they want to take the fight to the enemy and protect our country," Ricketts said.
Smith says there's a reason young people are enlisting.
"There's patriots from the top down. Every age, every background. There's always going to be someone that wants to serve. It's not limited to just one sect anymore," he said.