Guard troops honored for duty in Afghanistan

BANGOR – About a dozen local Maine National Guardsmen who recently returned from Afghanistan, and their families, were honored Saturday for the sacrifices they made in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

An estimated 200 people attended the “Freedom Salute Presentation Ceremony” held for Company E of the 120th Air Traffic Control and the Operational Support Airlift Command. Members of ECO served six months to a year in Afghanistan.

The ceremony Saturday at the 112th Medical Company Armory on Cleveland Street opened to the patriotic music of the 195th Army Band, as soldiers and family members took their seats.

Honorary guests Gov. John E. Baldacci, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Brig. Gen. John “Bill” Libby, commander of the Maine National Guard, thanked the ECO guardsmen and gave special recognition to the families in each of their addresses.

Baldacci commended “the real heroes who put their lives on the line,” as well as their family and friends.

Collins first gave recognition to the governor, expressing her pleasure at seeing him healthy and well after a car accident Wednesday in which he suffered a concussion and broken rib.

Collins then addressed the troops with two important words: “Welcome home.”

The returning soldiers were each presented with items of honor, including a flag and case, a commemorative “Freedom Coin,” a Certificate of Freedom and two pins.

In an emotional moment, the soldiers pinned their spouses and significant others with a special “Team” lapel pin.

ECO family co-coordinator Carla Holland presented her co-worker Emily Buck Craig with a special basket of small gifts to honor her hard work.

The two women, who assist families of deployed guardsmen, received a standing ovation at the ceremony. The family support program, formed just a few years ago, has grown to provide 24-hour availability.

Craig’s husband, 1st Sgt. Stephen Craig, who has been deployed three times since becoming a National Guardsman in 1991, also was honored at Saturday’s ceremony.

While he’s away, “we keep in touch through letters, e-mails and even a couple of videos,” Emily Craig said. The couple have two children, ages 8 and 10.

Stephen Craig said he kept busy and worked hard fighting for freedom while deployed, but during the nights he thought of his family.

He recalled thinking, “There is a light at the end of the tunnel and when you get there, you get to go home.”

While the celebration was a joyous occasion, it was hard to ignore that there are still troops who have not returned home.

“Its a sobering effect, knowing that there are some still over there,” Stephen Craig said.

Currently, 1,000 Maine National Guardsmen are on active duty, serving in several locations, including Cuba, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.