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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Minnesota governor attends ceremony

LAWTON, Okla. (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty braved triple-digit temperatures Monday to say farewell to departing National Guard troops from 10 states in what was Fort Sill's biggest deployment ceremony since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The brigade-sized combat aviation unit known as Task Force 34 was formed on June 1. In addition to 2,700-plus National Guards troops from the states of Minnesota, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Oklahoma, it will take an active-duty attack helicopter battalion from Germany to Balad, Iraq.

There it will conduct aviation operations in support of the Multi-National Corps-Iraq mission to maintain security, enabling the Iraqi government to assume responsibility for the nation's security and governmental functions.

"In the defining moments of this glorious nation, our character, our resolve and our collective soul has been tested," Pawlenty said. "Everything we enjoy today — security, prosperity and the ability to enjoy freedom — was bought at the price of service and sacrifice of the men and women in the United States military.

"We're all familiar with the phrase, 'freedom isn't free.' I think it's important to add another phrase, which is, 'not everybody pays the same price.' The soldiers here today are paying an additional price, an additional burden, so that our country can remain free."