An official welcome home for Connecticut Army National Guard

July 27, 2013 2:00 pm • Last Updated: July 28, 2013 12:06 am

By Tali Greener/Special to The Day

National Guardsmen bow their heads during the benediction of a formal Welcome Home ceremony to honor the Connecticut Army National Guard's 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, (TASMG), of Groton and the Military Working Dog Detachments, (MWD), of Newtown at the William A. O'Neill Armory in Hartford Saturday, July 27, 2013.

Hartford - National Guardsmen bowed their heads during the benediction of a formal Welcome Home ceremony to honor the Connecticut Army National Guard's 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, (TASMG), of Groton and the Military Working Dog Detachments, (MWD), of Newtown at the William A. O'Neill Armory in Hartford Saturday.

Soldiers of the 1109th were recognized for their support of aviation repair for Apache, Blackhawk, Chinook and Kiowa helicopters and logistics support for the entire Operation Enduring Freedom theater of operation. The group mobilized in June 2012 and returned to Connecticut in May 2013. This was the unit's third deployment to Southwest Asia.

Kaylie Smith, 2, of Bristol, hangs on to her dad, Master Sgt. Jimmie Smith, and his cap following a formal Welcome Home ceremony to honor the Connecticut Army National Guard's 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, (TASMG), of Groton and the Military Working Dog Detachments, (MWD), of Newtown at the William A. O'Neill Armory in Hartford Saturday, July 27, 2013. Smith serves with the MWD of Newtown.

From left, Specialist PJ Mickens of Colchester, Robert Bailey, Connecticut Junior Vice Commander of the VFW, and Specialist Joey Mingola of Ledyard, admire Mingola's National Guard Team medal following a formal Welcome Home ceremony to honor the Connecticut Army National Guard's 1109th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group, (TASMG), of Groton and the Military Working Dog Detachments, (MWD), of Newtown at the William A. O'Neill Armory in Hartford Saturday, July 27, 2013. Mickens and Mingola both serve with the 1109th TASMG.

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