12.06.14

Hoeven Welcomes Home 2-285th Aviation Regiment at Freedom Salute

BISMARCK, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today welcomed home the C Company, 2nd Battalion, 285th Aviation Regiment of the North Dakota National Guard (NDNG) at a Freedom Salute in Bismarck. The unit of 36 soldiers recently returned from a one-year deployment to Kosovo.

“We have much to be thankful for during this holiday season and today we are reminded once again that the blessings we enjoy in this country are preserved by brave soldiers like those of the 2-285th,” said Hoeven. “We are grateful for their sacrifices and for their service and we welcome them home.”

The C Company 2-285th Aviation Regiment is headquartered in Bismarck, with the soldiers hailing from ten North Dakota communities and three Minnesota communities. The unit served as part of the KFOR 18 Aviation Task Force, in support of the US-led Multinational Battle Group East, focusing on the tactical transport of troops, VIP transport, external sling-loads, cargo, casualty evacuation, as well as assistance and training for Kosovo security forces.

This is the unit’s second deployment since the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism. They first deployed to Iraq from October 2009 to October 2010.