DAVENPORT--- About 20 soldiers were honored with a welcome home celebration at the Army Aviation Support Facility Saturday, May 20, after a seven month deployment in Afghanistan.
Company B, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion was awarded the John Stanko Army National Guard Unit of the Year Award, presented by the Army Aviation Association of America.
“We worked well together, we got the job done and that’s one of the things about this unit. We work hard and that’s why we’re the best we work hard to get the job done and nobody is better at it than we are,” says Sergeant Larry Goodwin of the 211th Aviation Regiment.
The unit flew more than 3,000 aircraft hours during the deployment and completed more than 300 combat missions. During one mission the unit went the extra mile and saved the lives of other soldiers.
“When people are shooting at you or trying to harm you, it’s easier to avoid contact and these gentlemen said no those are Americans on the ground and we’re not going to leave them,” says Deputy Army General, Randy Warm.
The Davenport-based company won the same Aviation Unit of the Year Award almost six years ago.
The group returned home to the Quad Cities in April.