National Guard Air Ambulance Unit Mobilizes for Middle East Deployment

Jonathan Edwards is a sergeant with Company G, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment of the Oregon Army National Guard. His unit is an air ambulance unit and they are getting ready to head to Fort Hood Texas.

From there, they are then headed back to the Middle East for a deployment.

On Friday, as Edwards and his unit prepared to leave, they had a ceremony where they were sent off by elected officials. They also said goodbye to family and friends.

For Edwards, that meant one last, long hug from his son, Grant.

Once the unit gets to the Middle East, the nearly 70 soldiers will use Blackhawk helicopters to provide aeromedical support throughout the Persian Gulf region.

The unit historically has conducted medical evacuations, performed search and rescue operations, and even provided wildland fire suppression operations.

This is far from their first deployment overseas. This will be the fourth time that they have been sent to the Middle East. They were also in Bosnia for Operation Joint Forge 7, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Kosovo during Operation Joint Guardian.

Photos Oregon Military Department.