Delaware National Guard: Serving at Home and Abroad

Delaware Governor: Jack Markell

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Written on: March 12th, 2010 in Recognizing State Employees

Earlier this week, I attended a change of command ceremony for the Delaware National Guard. Brigadier General Terry Wiley is retiring, and Brigadier General Scott Chambers is taking his place as Assistant Adjutant General. Congratulations to both General Wiley and General Chambers.

General Wiley and General Chambers at the Change of Command Ceremony

General Wiley entered the military in 1966 and fought in Vietnam. He is a highly decorated officer, and has served the citizens of Delaware and the rest of our United States well. I would be sad to say “goodbye” to him, but fortunately, I don’t have to. He lives in Middletown and remains a valuable member of our community. While I wish him a happy and relaxing retirement, I’m quite sure that General Wiley will continue to find ways to make Delaware a better place!

While I was with our Guardsmen and women, I thanked them for their service during the storm. They have a unique dual mission: the Delaware National Guard serves overseas to fight for all Americans, and they also stand ready to help us here at home.

Spc. Mark Reid grapples with the chain on a recovery mission during Arctic Vengeance II. Photo by taken by taken by SPC Lori Bilyou, a DNG Soldier who is also a teacher at William Penn.

Right now, some of our soldiers are risking their lives abroad. The 262nd Maintenance Company is providing convoy security in Iraq. In Afghanistan, the 238th Aviation Company is flying Black Hawk helicopters; the 160th Engineer Company is constructing and maintaining infrastructure and base camps; and the Embedded Training Team is working closely with the Afghanistan Police as trainers and mentors.

Others Guardsmen and women recently risked their lives to keep us safe on our own streets. We called upon almost 400 soldiers — many of whom served during both snowstorms — even though their families were dealing with the same problems that people across the state were facing. They helped thousands of Delawareans by transporting essential personnel to keep hospitals and other facilities running, rescuing people stranded on the roads, and ensuring that dialysis patients and others with medical emergencies were able to get lifesaving care.

On behalf of all Delawareans, thank you for your service in foreign lands and in our homeland. Thank you for keeping our communities safe and for being an important part of them.