Air Guard To Give Plaques To 70,000 Deployers [View All]

[livvy]

Air Guard To Give Plaques To 70,000 Deployers

Staff report
Posted : Saturday Nov 29, 2008 6:48:41 EST

It’s not a medal, a ribbon or a check, but the Air National Guard intends to recognize 70,000 Air Guard members with individual plaques.

Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, command chief of the Air Guard, said the Air Guard’s Hometown Heroes Salute Campaign will recognize what could be more than 70,000 guardsmen who have deployed for more than 30 consecutive days since Sept. 11, 2001. Qualifying contingencies include operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and domestic missions like Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

“We have not properly recognized our airmen,” Smith told the Guard’s adjutants general, Air Guard commanders and command chief master sergeants during a recent senior leadership conference in Virginia.

Local units have done a great job recognizing groups who deployed, but some individual deployments have been shorted proper recognition, the command chief said.

Eligible Guard members will receive a cherry wood-encased letter of appreciation signed by Smith and former Air Guard director, Gen. Craig. R. McKinley, now head of the National Guard Bureau. Also enclosed in the frame will be a commemorative coin.

more...


http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/11/airforce_airguard_plaque_112608w/%2e

I did some searching, and I found a picture of the plaque that will be awarded...nice!



Guard members to be honored through Salute Campaign
Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Muncy holds up a Hometown Heroes Salute Award that will be given in 2009 to eligible National Guard Airmen who deployed on orders for more than 30 consecutive days in a contingency operation. Chief Muncy, the command chief of the Ohio Air National Guard, and Chief Master Sgt. Richard Smith, command chief of the Air Guard, announced the Hometown Heroes Salute program Nov. 20 at the Air Guard Senior Leadership conference outside Washington. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith)

There is an additional article at the link below. It's where I found the picture.

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123125492