Updated 24 Oct 07 2106 edt S Sturgis

To all SD PGR members,

We have finally received information about the National Guard departures for Thursday and Sunday.  The information is as follows:

The advance team will be departing Sioux Falls via commercial air at 0510 and 0600 Thursday morning.  Any members who can be at the airport, in the lobby, to see these members off, please be there at 0400.  Parking should
be available at the curbside in front of the airport.   We will be seeing the members off before they go through security.

The main group of 180 soldiers will be departing Sunday morning.  Members are asked to stage at the J L Harley shop on 60th Street, just off I-29, Exit 83, at 0700.  We will go kickstands up at 0715 sharp to travel to the National
Guard facility on Minnesota Ave.  If anyone should miss the departure from J L Harley, just travel east on 60 St one mile to Minnesota, turn right (south), turn right at the south end of the airport grounds onto Algonquin St, and travel to the Air National Guard entry.  Twelve bikes will provide escort of the buses from their to the Air
National Guard hanger where the 147th will de-bus.  We will provide a flag line for the troops to the aircraft.  They will be going through an aircraft hanger before boarding, so opportunity may be available for us to visit with the soldiers before boarding.

For all who were unable to attend the activation ceremony on Wednesday, it was a spectacular event.  More than 3500 people were in attendance at the arena.  State Captain 'SirlancelotSD' presented the unit commander with a PGR flag which the unit will fly at their base in Iraq.  After the
ceremony, we were approached by many people asking about joining the PGR.  The soldiers were appreciative of us being there to see them off, although we all know that it isn't about us.  Cory Briest, the Charlie Co soldier from Yankton was there.  Cory is still recovering from his wounds suffered in 2005 in Iraq during his deployment.

Any members with questions on this mission, please email RC Jim at chiefie@triotel.net or SC Lance at sirlancelotsd@patriotguard.org .

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updated 23 OCT 07 harly69g

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Updated 16th Oct 07 1943 edt S Sturgis


Final mission information:  This will be a two-part, possibly three-part,  mission. 
This mission is for the deployment of B Battery, 147th Field Artillery from Sioux Falls.
 
Part one:  Unit Activation Ceremony, Oct. 24th 1 pm., Sioux Falls Arena:    We will stage
at the southeast parking lot corner of the civic arena at 11:30 a.m.  Briefing will be at 11:30
and we will make the short ride to the arena at 11:45 am.  We will be posting a flag line
on the sidewalk outside the entrance into the building.  If we have flags enough, we will
also post flags on the grassy area across the driveway from the entrance.    The families
of the deploying soldiers will be arriving at 12:30 pm.   At 1 pm, we will move indoors for
the activation ceremony.  We are listed in the program, and will be presenting a PGR
flag to the unit for them to fly in Iraq.  As soon as the ceremony ends, we will re-deploy
to our original positions to man the flag line again.
 
Possible part two:  Advance Team Deployment, Oct 25:  There will be a 6 man advance
team departing Sioux Falls on Oct 25 via commercial air.  We will post the flight times
as soon as it is known, and will tell everyone at the staging area on the 24th, if known.
 We will have a flag line inside the airport in the lobby at the bottom of the escalator.   
 
Part three:  Unit Deployment:, Sioux Falls Airport,  Oct 28th:   We will be providing a
12-bike escort from the National Guard Armory to the closest point allowed where the
Guardsmen will be boarding their flight.  All members not on bikes will be standing a
flag line near the entrance where the Guard vehicle will be entering the flight line.  This
flight will not be out of the commercial airport, but will be in General Aviation.  The military
has not released the flight time for security reasons, so we will not know this until the day
before the flight.  They do anticipate that the flight will likely be mid-morning.  The staging
place for the bikes will be at J L Harley on Hwy 38 just east of the Flying J Truck Stop off
I-29 at exit 83. 
 
If anyone has questions relating to this mission, please contact either myself at the email
address below, or Ride Captain Jim Lentsch at chiefie@triotel.net. 

Lance   "SirLancelotSD"
State Captain, Patriot Guard Riders (SD)
www.PatriotGuard.org
SirlancelotSD@patriotguard.org

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