Thousands Support Troops During Sendoff Ceremony

by Lori Scott Fogleman

More than 31,000 family members and friends gathered on New Years Day at Baylor University's Floyd Casey Stadium for an emotional sendoff ceremony marking the largest deployment of Texas National Guard troops since World War II.

Approximately 3,000 members of the 56th Brigade Combat Team, 36th Infantry Division, ran onto the field to patriotic music played by a military band. They were officially mobilized in August for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The soldiers will serve in Iraq for about a year.

Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards and Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. attended the ceremony, as well as several high-ranking Army National Guard officials.

At the end of the ceremony, Sloan presented two soldiers with 140-minute phone cards that were provided through "Operation Phone Card," a community-wide effort that raised more than $123,000 to purchase phone cards for each of the deploying soldiers.

Photos by Clifford S. Cheney IV and Jason Raddin, Baylor Photography.

Photo Feature

FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE	FULL SIZE
FULL SIZE