Oct 26, 2009 By Patty Yauger 4 min read

The commitment and sacrifice of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard while serving nearly nine months in Iraq was marked this week on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, along with other congressional members from Pennsylvania, including U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, presented a resolution to honor those who were a part of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, including local soldiers of the Guard’s 1/110th, based in Mount Pleasant and Connellsville Township.

Nearly 4,000 Pennsylvania soldiers took part in the deployment – the largest for the Guard since 2005, when the 1/110th was part of the 2nd Brigade, also in Iraq.

The Guardsmen were deployed to Iraq in January and returned home in late September.

“These men and women being honored today are not only brave soldiers, they are also our neighbors, friends and relatives,” said Shuster in presenting House Resolution 754. “Their mission in Iraq was vital to our national security and they served with honor and distinction.”

During his presentation, Shuster said that several congressional members visited the brigade during its training at Camp Shelby in Mississippi and at Fort Polk in Louisiana. In June, Shuster, along with House representatives Tim Holden, Charles Dent and Kathleen Dahlkemper, traveled to Camp Liberty in Iraq to meet with the soldiers and their commanding officers.

“While in Iraq, the delegation also met with Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of multinational forces in Iraq, who spoke glowingly of the job being done by the Pennsylvania Guard to bring security to Iraq,” said Shuster.

The House presentation also paid tribute to those who died in the war, including Spec. Chad A. Edmundson, 20, of Williamsburg, who resided within Shuster’s congressional district. He was killed May 27 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit while on a dismounted patrol.

“Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to their families,” said Shuster.

Sgt. Troy Dally of the Mount Pleasant unit was the supply sergeant during the deployment and appreciates the support of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I did not get to physically meet with (Shuster), but I do know he was at Camp Liberty,” said Dally.

Their mission during the first six months in Iraq was to patrol the area with the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police, he said, and conduct searches for weapons and checkpoints.

“On June 30, the mission changed with us going to the Iraqi Police headquarters and going with them in support of their missions,” said Dally.

The day-to-day security was officially turned over to the Iraqis, putting the U.S.-led coalition in a support role.

“There were places we went with them and we were told ‘stay here, we’re going in and doing this, and if we need you, we’ll call you,'” said Dally.

The soldiers bonded and worked “very well” together, he added.

“The first group that we were with were very upset when our sector changed and we were leaving, because of the team-building that we had done with them,” said Dally. “They were extremely happy working with the National Guard, especially the 56th, because we had a diverse group. We had state police officers and business owners that dealt with people every day.

“It made a great deal of difference because we had people that could interact with the political leaders of the area.” This was Dally’s first tour of duty in Iraq. “It was a successful mission,” he said.

Shuster, meanwhile, said that the resolution received “overwhelming” support from the House lawmakers.

“The House of Representatives expresses its gratitude to the members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of Pennsylvania and their families for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the U.S.,” he said.