2009/11/11:State Journal: Wisconsin Air National Guard to welcome home about 200 members

Submitted by staff on Tue, 11/17/2009 - 3:51pm

Wisconsin Air National Guard to welcome home about 200 members
Wisconsin State Journal
By STEVEN VERBURG | sverburg@madison.com | 608-252-6118 | Posted: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 5:05 pm | No Comments Posted

About 200 pilots and maintenance personnel of the Wisconsin Air National Guard 115th Fighter Wing are to be welcomed home Thursday after a two-month deployment in Iraq.

Families and friends are invited to a reception at 2 p.m. at state guard headquarters, 2400 Wright St., in Madison, said Lt. Col. Chris Rodel, a public affairs officer for the wing.

The wing provided an aerial surveillance for ground forces. A secondary mission involved flying over roads to spot signs of improvised explosive devices.

The wing flew a dozen Wisconsin and Iowa air guard F-16 jets to Iraq for the mission. The jets remain in Iraq for use by Iowa air guard personnel for a two month tour, Rodel said.

Wisconsin personnel were to arrive in Madison via a contracted civilian airliner Thursday afternoon.