U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today released this statement welcoming home to Maine 173 Maine National Guard troops serving with the 1136th Transportation Company, which is stationed in Sanford, Bangor, and Calais. The troops have been serving in Afghanistan for the past year.
"The men and women of the 1136th Transportation Company were assigned an essential mission of extraordinary difficulty in a dangerous place. It is a mission they carried out with courage, determination, and skill. And it is a mission that their families have also bravely supported. There is no cause more noble than defending our nation's freedom and extending freedom's blessings around the world. I join with the people of Maine and our nation in expressing my deep appreciation for their service and in welcoming you home to Maine."