Troop tribute salutes families

ROBBINS | Illinois guardsmen home from Afghan duty honored at ceremony

Nancy Kolanowski held her granddaughter Corrine in her arms as the young girl's father received an encased American flag from his commanding officers.

"Daddy, daddy," Corrine, 2, said.

"It's a blessing that he's home and safe," Kolanowski said of her son-in-law Brock Peart, a member of the Illinois Army National Guard.

Peart was one of about 85 soldiers recognized Sunday morning during a Freedom Salute ceremony at the Crestwood Armory in Robbins.

Members of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery were recognized for their service in Afghanistan.

"Every day, we're thankful," said Kolanowski, a Lansing resident. "The hidden heroes of the war are the spouses and the children."

Capt. Lenny Williams, company commander, thanked the soldiers' families for their ongoing support.

"Without your support, we could not have achieved our mission," Williams said. "What you did here made it possible for us to do what we did there. Your soldiers are the best of the best."

The guardsmen deployed to Afghanistan in August 2008 to train and mentor the Afghan National Police.

The ceremony also paid tribute to the four members of the Illinois Army National Guard killed in action during the deployment.

"We remember them for how much they meant to us," Williams said. "I cannot put into words how sorry I am that I could not bring them home."

Maj. Gen. Dennis Celletti, commander of the Illinois Army National Guard, also thanked the soldiers' families and employers for their support.

"We thank you for your accomplishments," said Celletti, who added that the mission in Afghanistan was helping bring stability to a nation that served as a training ground for terrorists.

Sun-Times News Group