(Dover, DE) In his weekly message Governor Markell focused on giving thanks to Delawareans this Thanksgiving. He especially recognized the service and sacrifices of our men and women overseas – in particular members of the 238th Aviation Regiment of the Delaware Army National Guard – who came home this week.
“We are thankful that each member made it back alive – having performed necessary and important jobs in service to our country,” said Governor Jack Markell. “These brave men and women worked as mechanics, re-fuelers, flight crews and pilots, thousands of miles from home. During their year – half a world away – they conducted reconnaissance missions to protect troops on the ground and in the skies. Throughout this past year, we know their families kept thinking ‘we hope they make it home safe.’ This week, this can take their loved ones in their arms and say – ‘Welcome home, my hero.’ That’s a Thanksgiving memory to treasure.”
These men and women transported more than one-hundred-thousand pounds of equipment and 13-thousand passengers, including President Karzai, General Petraeus, and Secretary of State Clinton. They supported a rescue mission when an avalanche struck high in the Afghan mountains. Vehicles were trapped, covered or overturned, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded at altitudes of greater than 9,000 feet and in sub-zero temperatures. The rescue mission they supported resulted in saving more than 300 Afghan citizens.
The Governor also thanked many others throughout the state and elsewhere, including:
· Our friends and family
· Businesses that are choosing Delaware as a place to move or a place to expand so we can keep working to get more people back to work
· The teachers, parents, administrators and employers, who are working together to make sure our kids graduate even better prepared to succeed
· Community and non-profit leaders and our state workers, who are committed to helping people when they need it most and making a difference each day
“But most of all, I am thankful for the optimism and opportunity, the energy and spirit of innovation that continues to define our great state –as we work together to keep Delaware… moving forward,” Markell said.
