Photo By Capt. Rebekah Malone | The Louisiana National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau and...... read more read more
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BAGHDAD — The trip may have been long, but the precious opportunity to visit deployed Guardsmen in Iraq was not something Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau, the adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, and the Senior Enlisted Advisor, Command Sgt. Maj. Tommy Caillier, could pass up.
"Last Friday we received a call and it took all of 30 seconds for Command Sgt Maj. Callier and me to decide to come," Landreneau said.
Upon their arrival in Baghdad, Landreneau and Caillier met with Soldiers from the 225th Engineer Brigade of Pineville, La., and the 39th Military Police Company of Minden, La.
"The 225 Engineer Brigade is making a mark and you have a lot to be proud of," Landreneau stressed to the Louisiana Engineers. "Your responsibilities are great, the work you are doing is tough, and you are doing it professionally and successfully in the way you were trained."
Brig. Gen. Owen Monconduit, 225th commander, thanked the adjutant general for his leadership and dedication to the LANG Soldiers deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism.
"The success and the outstanding mark we are making at this point is not something that happens overnight," said Monconduit. "It comes from years of training in places from Belize and Honduras to Germany. It just shows the true dedication, professionalism and leadership of Maj. Gen. Landreneau."
The former group commander of the 225th, Landreneau spent many years working with the Troops currently serving in Iraq. He explained that it was an honor to see the same Soldiers serving honorably on a federal mission.
While overseas, Landreneau and Caillier had the opportunity to participate in a historical ceremony with the troops from the 39th MPs at Forward Operating Base Shield.
The National Guard policemen and the LANG leadership witnessed the initial graduation of the Iraqi police leadership development course.
"We are slowly relinquishing training responsibilities to the Iraqi police and this is our first class of 'Train the Trainer,'" Master Sgt. Medwin Wallace of the 39th's Police Transition Team explained. "These graduates will go on to their Iraqi police stations to train others."
Wallace continued by stating Landreneau, Caillier and Gen. Latiff of Iraq handed out certificates to the graduates and were the guests of a Louisiana-style cookout with jambalaya and gumbo.
"It is very humbling to come and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these great Soldiers, because they are so dedicated and committed to doing a great job," Landreneau stated. "I'm proud to be associated with them."
Landreneau's visit coincided with a letter of greetings, laced with pride in the accomplishments of the deployed Guardsmen from Louisiana Governor, Bobby Jindal.
"You not only answer that call any time your community, your state, or your country needs you, you also work everyday to make sure that you are trained, experienced and ready to serve," Jindal wrote. "You have stepped forward during a time of uncertainty in the world and you have done so out of great personal sacrifice."
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2009 10:50 |
| Story ID: | 33134 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 481 |
| Downloads: | 352 |
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