2-300th returns to Wyoming

Soldiers from the Wyoming Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery, 115th Fires Brigade, will return to the Casper Natrona County International Airport's Nerd Hanger at 11:20 a.m., 2 p.m. and 2:50 p.m., on April 1.

This is the second of three groups of returning Soldiers. Those returning include Soldiers from the 2-300th, as well as 960th Brigade Support Battalion service members who were attached to them for the deployment.

Brief welcome home ceremonies will take place after the first and last aircraft arrive.  Soldiers from the first aircraft will be dismissed immediately following the first event.

Members of the public are invited to join the Soldiers' families in welcoming the unit home. The Nerd Hanger, located next to the commercial aircraft terminal, will be open to family members, media and the public two hours prior to the chartered aircraft arrival. Those planning to attend will be
directed to a designated parking area at the airport.

This group of roughly 400 Wyoming Soldiers left the Casper airport in April 2009, to conduct pre-mobilization training at Fort Hood, Texas, before making the journey to Kuwait and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The mission of this unit was to conduct convoy security and escort missions throughout Kuwait and Iraq.

Throughout its deployment, the 2-300 FA conducted more than 15,500 convoy security and personnel security missions, drove more than 3.2 million miles and moved and secured more than 500,000 Department of Defense personnel in Kuwait. The unit also integrated more than 200 Soldiers from outside units into the battalion from more than 36 different states, secured more than
48,000 logistics vehicles into Iraq and maintained accountability of more than $94 million worth of military equipment.

Additional duties for this unit included command and control operations, communication support, logistical support, intelligence support, medical support and electronic warfare support for more than 680 Soldiers operating in three different countries.

Homecoming event coordinators are looking for volunteers to help wave flags and welcome Wyoming Soldiers home. For more information on how to help with the ceremony, please contact the Wyoming Guard's Yellow Ribbon Program by calling Deputy Military Personnel Officer, Ms. Corey Loghry, at (307) 772-5933.

For additional information, contact the Wyoming National Guard Public Affairs Office at (307) 772-5253.

Soldiers say hello from overseas

Soldiers of the Wyoming Army National Guard 115th Fires Brigade currently deployed in Kuwait and Iraq recently recorded video messages for dissemination to Wyoming supporters, including a couple soldiers from the Lovell area.

Additional messages from soldiers throughout Wyoming and the rest of the country can be downloaded at the Department of Defense imagery server.

Just chillin'

A group of birds eagles and other birds have been hanging out on the Shoshone River, visible on the north side of the river bridge on Hwy. 310 between Lovell and Cowley.

According to baldeagleinfo.com, an eagle's body is protected by down under their feathers and their feet are resistant to cold, and mostly made of tendons. The beak is mostly non-living material with little blood supply. It seems these birds were better prepared for last night's -20 weather than I was.

The eagles were eating something on the frozen river. According to the site, eagles generally eat fish, but they will also eat other small prey and whatever else is available, sometimes scavenging for unattended carcasses.

Tomorrow's Chronicle: Oct. 29, 2009

Tomorrow’s Chronicle will contain:

•A story about outbreak of the flu (H1N1 / swine flu and Influenza A) in northern Big Horn County, with information about the flu vaccine, treatment and the difference between the common cold and flu.

•An update on sugar beet farmers as they hurry to get beets harvested and processed at factories after a great growing season that is being threatened by cold weather.

•Free dump days for the disposal of yard waste at the Big Horn County Landfill.

•Unemployment: updated numbers of people unemployed in Big Horn County.

Also, information about: the 4H turkey shoot, a proposed ban on airport residences, National Guard town meeting, active shooter law enforcement training, Lovell Town Council and Your Town Community Meeting update with details about the signage project and film festival.

REMINDER:
Saving sunlight: Daylight savings time is Sunday at 2 a.m.
Cuckoo clocks will be going crazy this Sunday when they will have to be wound back to allow the sunlight to hit the fields earlier and allow farmers to stay asleep for another hour for daylight savings time.