Wednesday, Jul. 06, 2011

Soldiers celebrate holiday by re-enlisting

Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, helped U.S. service members celebrate the 235th anniversary of America’s independence by administering the oath of enlistment to 235 service members during an Independence Day celebration held July 4, 2011, at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

“Here 235 of you stand ready to re-enlist for another tour of service, or to reaffirm your recent re-enlistment by reciting the oath of enlistment, knowing full well your commitment will likely entail another long separation from loved ones and more tough battles with the enemy,” said Petraeus. “I cannot say how impressive your actions are.”

N.D. Guard changes gear as water recedes

In the Minot area, the North Dakota National Guard continues to perform traffic control point missions, sandbag operations, levee patrols and levee monitoring and repair, officials said.

“Right now we have about 850 of our Soldiers and Airmen here in the Minot, Ward County, Souris River valley area,” said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota’s adjutant general. There are also about 250 Airmen from the Minot Air Force Base working with Guard members, bringing totals to about 1,100.

“There are many, many challenges ahead, but I am confident that we have the right people coming together to meet this challenge,” he said.

“As we are able to transition from our missions as the water recedes, you’ll see fewer and fewer Guardsmen in this area,” Sprynczynatyk said, “but we will continue to provide all the support that’s requested of us.”