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48th gets orders to deploy in 2009
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While Fort Stewart is gearing up to train an Indiana National Guard Brigade for service in Iraq next year, the 48th Brigade of the Georgia National Guard is among five Guard brigades alerted Monday for deployment in 2009.
These brigades alerted this week will replace units that have not yet deployed. The units are being identified well in advance to give maximum time possible for mission-specific training, the Pentagon said.
“It’s a tribute to the military planners who are trying to provide  — particularly for our National Guard brigades  — the type of timely notification so they can be prepared for the specific missions, but also to give the predictability for their families and employers,” a DoD spokesman said.
The Guard soldiers will be mobilized for 12 months. The Defense Department alerted the 53rd and 48th brigade combat teams, roughly 7,000 soldiers, to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan The 48th will train Afghan national security forces. The 53rd Brigade of the Florida Guard will assume battlespace in Afghanistan and conduct a full spectrum of operations.
The 32nd BCT from the Wisconsin Guard, the 41st BCT of the Oregon Guard and the 155th BCT from the Mississippi Guard have been alerted for deployment to Iraq in summer 2009. The roughly 8,000 soldiers will take over the security force mission and will ensure freedom of movement and continuity of operations within the country.
The units will be responsible for base defense and route security within Kuwait and Iraq.
The 48th Brigade was last deployed in 2005 when it was sent to Iraq for a year. Before that, elements of the 48th had participated in peacekeeping in Bosnia in 2001.
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Exchange Service salutes Vietnam vets with custom truck design
Army and Air Force Exchange Service redesigned logo 2011

To thank Vietnam veterans for their sacrifices, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is debuting a new truck design, part of the Department of Defense retailer’s efforts alongside the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration to honor veterans during the 50th anniversary of the war.

“The Exchange is privileged to have the opportunity to recognize Vietnam veterans through our fleet,” said Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era. “These trucks will serve as rolling billboards, expressing gratitude for all who served during this era.”

The truck design features the silhouette of a lone service member set against the background of a faded horizon with a call to “thank a Vietnam veteran for service to our nation.” The single military member represents the warfighters who served during this time.

Three trucks in the fleet feature the commemorative design and will deliver merchandise to Exchange stores from the organization’s distribution centers in the continental United States.

The West Coast Distribution Center at Sharpe Army Depot in California; Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport News, Va.; and the Waco Distribution Center in Texas will each have a truck in service on their standard delivery routes, serving the whole country.

Air Force veteran Pat Thompson served in Vietnam before coming to the Exchange as a truck driver and mechanic. In his 18 years with the Exchange, he has deployed four times to support the troops. The new design means a lot to him.

“They remember,” said Thompson, who is based at the Exchange’s Waco Distribution Center. “We want to be remembered.”

The trucks also highlight the veteran online shopping benefit, which launched in November. The lifelong online military exchange benefit authorizes all who served honorably to enjoy tax-free shopping and exclusive military pricing at ShopMyExchange.com.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration is a program administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The U.S. began commemoration of the Vietnam War’s 50th anniversary in 2012 and will continue through Veterans Day 2025.

The Exchange is a 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner, planning and conducting events and activities that recognize Vietnam veterans and their families for service, valor and sacrifice in conjunction with the commemoration.

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