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Happy birthday, Delaware National Guard!

Written on: September 2nd, 2010 in Guest Posts, Recognizing State Employees

Guest post by Major General Frank Vavala, Adjutant General of the Delaware National Guard:

Three hundred fifty-five years ago, the first Swedish settlers living in the city of Wilmington, then called Fort Christina, banded together forming a militia to defend their homes against the invading Dutch. This was the birth of our Delaware National Guard.

From those humble beginnings to today, the men and women of our Delaware National Guard have always answered the call to duty in support of our state and nation. The members of our Delaware National Guard have served in all major conflicts from our colonial origins through our present day overseas contingency operations.

Today, in its fourth century of service, the Delaware National Guard continues to answer the call. The Delaware National Guard asks only for the opportunity to carry out its mission. In peacetime it is at the service of the Governor whenever emergency, natural disaster, civil unrest, or terrorism threaten the lives and property of our citizens. In times of war or national emergency, it is trained and ready to assume the honorable position in the nation’s first line of defense. As we celebrate, our colleagues are deployed throughout the world.

So, happy 355th to the Delaware National Guard and its citizen soldiers and airmen around the world. Protecting the nation, serving the First State, we are your hometown force, the Delaware National Guard.

Tags: Delaware, Delaware National Guard, Major General Frank Vavala, National Guard