News from New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs

For more information contact: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg, 518-786-4581 or on site, Capt. Janet Erazo at 917-734-4313 or 718-746-7888x10 at the unit armory

New York City welcomes home Army Guard Soldiers from Iraq

Freedom Salute ceremony pays tribute to 7th Finance Detachment in Whitestone

LATHAM, NY (11/29/2007; 1547)(readMedia)-- Family, friends and the Borough of Queens officially welcomes home 21 Citizen Soldiers of the Army National Guard’s 7th Finance Detachment following their successful deployment to Iraq in 2006-07.

WHAT: Freedom Salute ceremony honoring the service of National Guard Soldiers in the Global War on Terror

WHO: Twenty-one Citizen Soldiers from the N.Y. Army National Guard’s 7th Finance Detachment, plus family members, friends and military and civilian officials

WHERE: New York State Armory, 150-74 6th Avenue, Whitestone, NY 11357

WHEN: Saturday, December 1, 2007 at 10 a.m.

BACKGROUND: Soldiers mobilized in June of 2006 for training at Camp McCoy, Wisconsin prior to deployment overseas in August. The unit served in Iraq until August of this year when it returned home and demobilized. The Freedom Salute Ceremony marks the unit’s return to a traditional National Guard status and reintegrates the detachment Soldiers with the rest of the unit.

The Soldiers operated from two forward operating bases in Iraq, one in Diyala Province northeast of Baghdad including the City of Baqoubah and the other in Ninewa Province, north of Baghdad and including Mosul.

Finance troops provided 24/7 financial services and support for thousands of U.S. service personnel, military and Iraqi contractors and other coalition or Iraqi forces as needed. The National Guard Soldiers provided a ready cash supply of both U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars, check cashing services and responded to Soldier pay questions or financial concerns.

FREEDOM SALUTE PROGRAM BACKGROUND:

In December 2003, National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., launched the Freedom Salute Campaign nationwide as a way to recognize members of the Army National Guard for service during Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom and thank their spouses, children, and employers for the support they have shown to their Soldier.

The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. Each eligible soldier will receive an encased American flag, a lapel insignia, a commemorative coin and certificate of appreciation from the Army National Guard. The soldier’s spouse/significant other will receive a lapel insignia while Soldiers who are considered a center of influence with young people will be given a Future Soldier Footlocker Kit that includes the Daring Eagle board game, Mission Command card game, and Army National Guard trading cards.

Itineraries will be available at the Freedom Salute event.

Interested news organizations are urged to contact the DMNA public affairs office ASAP at (518) 786-4581 for details and coordinating information. If possible, please provide names of news media representatives. Working journalists should be prepared to show photo ID.

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