Officials spend Thanksgiving overseas

U.S. Senator John Barrasso and Wyoming’s first family, Governor Mark Gordon and First Lady Jennie Gordon, all spent the Thanksgiving holiday with members of the three Wyoming Army National Guard units deployed overseas.

On Thanksgiving Day in Afghanistan, Barrasso joined President Donald Trump in a surprise visit to American troops stationed at Bagram Air Base. This includes members of Wyoming National Guard’s A Battery, 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery, who are conducting artillery missions in Afghanistan. 

“On a day to reflect on what we as Americans are thankful for, it was an honor to travel to Afghanistan with President Trump to tell our soldiers in person how truly grateful we all are for their sacrifice and dedication,” Barrasso said.  

“I was incredibly proud to introduce the President to Guard members who are stationed at Bagram Air Base. They’re part of the largest overseas deployment of Wyoming soldiers in a decade and are doing an outstanding job.” 

Barrasso and President Trump met with service members, served Thanksgiving dinner and were briefed by military officials about ongoing operations in the Middle East. 

Meanwhile, the Gordons were joined by Wyoming Adjutant General Maj. Gen Gregory Porter and State Command Sgt. Maj. Command Sgt. Harold Pafford on their five-day trip, which saw them visit soldiers in Kosovo and the Middle East.

“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to personally thank our service members for their work in ensuring the safety and security of those of us back home” Governor Gordon said.

“I understand that this can be a challenging time of year for our soldiers to be separated from their families. Jennie and I wanted to let them know that the sacrifices they and their families are enduring are not going unrecognized.”

The first stop for the Governor and First Lady was Kosovo, where they spent the day visiting with soldiers from C Company, 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment. The following morning they flew to Kuwait.

The governor took part in a promotion ceremony for several soldiers that was led by the General for soldiers in the 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery.

“This unit scored extremely well on readiness,” Governor Gordon noted. “Everyone was incredibly proud of the way Wyoming soldiers performed.”

The Governor and First Lady spent the final day of their trip sharing a Thanksgiving meal with deployed soldiers from the 115th Field Artillery Brigade.

“Both Jennie and I were honored to have the opportunity to be with our soldiers on Thanksgiving, as we wanted them to know how much the people of Wyoming were thinking of them,” Governor Gordon said. 

There are approximately 370 Wyoming National Guard soldiers deployed in the Middle East and Europe. This makes it one of the largest deployments of Wyoming National Guard soldiers since 2009.