Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers receive homecoming after 10-month mobilization
BALTIMORE - Maryland Army National Guard Soldiers returned home Sunday following a 10-month mobilization supporting the U.S. Army Military District of Washington.
The soldiers were celebrated with a homecoming at the Aberdeen Proving Ground - South.
Ten UH-60 Black Hawks and 87 Soldiers assigned to Charlie Company, 2-224th Aviation Regiment, completed their security and support missions in the National Capital Region under the 12th Aviation Battalion while at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, from April 2022 to January 2023.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, the assistant adjutant general-Army, welcomed the soldiers, along with other Maryland National Guard senior leaders.
"The Soldiers of Charlie Company performed a critical mission in and around our nation's capital. By all accounts they were successful," said Birckhead. "Being ready for contingency operations often goes unnoticed and without fanfare but this is another example of our citizen-Soldiers who are always, ready, always there. We are grateful to them and their families."
During their federal activation, Charlie Company Soldiers flew in support of more than 15 aviation mission rehearsals for various joint commands in the Department of Defense.
They logged more than 1,200 flight hours with zero incidents and completed more than 37,800 aircraft maintenance man-hours to maintain operational readiness rate, which was well above the department of the Army standard.
They also dispersed more than 100,000 gallons of fuel to the 12th Aviation Battalion aircraft and other helicopters in the National Capital Region while engines were running.
The unit previously deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 and in support of Operation New Dawn in 2011.
