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deepest appreciation for the family members and the critical support they provide. “Your families will be cared for because they are our families as well,” Ortner promised the Soldiers. “Whatever is needed, we will provide. They will be safe with us, and they will be cared for. You do not need to worry.” The 29th ID, Maryland and Virginia National Guard have multiple support systems in place if there are any hardships created by the mobilization, and the Family Programs Office had personnel available before the departure to help answer any questions or provide assistance. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 15,000 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen have mobilized on federal active duty for homeland security missions and combat operations, sustainment support and peacekeeping in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and other locations around the world. The pace of federal mobilizations for the Virginia National Guard shows no sign of slowing down. Approximately 1,550 Virginia National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will start, continue or complete a federal mobilization in 2016 in places like the Middle East and Cuba. Cotton Puryear is the state public affairs officer for the Virginia National Guard. He retired from uniformed service in 2010 after 24 years in the active Army and National Guard including tours of duty in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and in Kosovo for peacekeeping operations with the Guard's 29th Infantry Division. V

Additional information on the 29th Infantry Division: Soldiers from 29th Infantry Division traveled to Europe to participate in Saber Strike 16 June 4-22, 2016, in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania where they served as an exercise control cell and managed many of the support functions and tracking the training requirements for different units going through the exercise. They helped ensure all units met their training objectives and helped reallocate resources during the exercise to achieve training objectives. More than 400 Maryland and Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division joined with National Guard and active duty Soldiers from around the country, as well as active duty and Air National Guard Airmen, for a nine-day warfighter exercise Nov. 13-22 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, where they received high praise for their outstanding performance during the exercise. Maryland and Virginia National Guard Soldiers in the 29th Infantry Division last served in federal active duty in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2012 when they conducted two rotations assigned to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force Joint Command Afghan National Security Force Development Team. During that time they served as advisors and mentors to senior Afghan leaders with the mission to provide Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police subject matter expertise to facilitate ANSF growth and development. Prior to their service in Afghanistan, Maryland and Virginia Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division deployed overseas for peace-keeping duty in Kosovo from August 2006 to November 2007. Formed in 1917, the 29th Infantry Division deployed to France during World War I and saw action in the First United States Army’s Meuse- Argonne offensive as part of the French XVII Corps. In World War II, the 29th Division was in the first wave of troops to storm the beaches of Normandy and begin the liberation of France.

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