Family and friends gathered at Camp Beauregard in Pineville to say farewell to 65 area soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard’s F Company who are being deployed to Afghanistan. The local guardsmen will be in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Their year-long mission will include providing medical evacuation care to injured military and civilian personnel using their medically equipped helicopters commonly referred to as air ambulances. One of the helicopters is named the “Bayou Dust-off” and has a fleur-de-lis painted on the side of the aircraft.
Two brothers from Hessmer, Ryan and Regan Wilson, as well as father and son team Peter and Michael Denux of Ball are part of the contingent. Ryan joked that he had to volunteer to keep his “big brother under control”. Michael was in another Guard unit, but volunteered to deploy with his father’s unit. Knowing that their soldiers in this local medevac unit will be helping other people’s sons, fathers, brothers and sisters in Afghanistan helps their otherwise worried but proud relatives.
We salute the bravery and sacrifice of our local Guardsmen and wish them good luck, Godspeed and a safe return home in a year!
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
