American troops headed to Afghanistan received a police escort as they left Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
Local residents lined the streets to show their support as Army Reserve members from the 420th Engineer Company departed on Wednesday.
“It was really unexpected. We had no idea there was that many people in there,” said Capt. Robert Henning, Commander, 420th Engineer Company, of the send-off.
“Many of our troopers have served and continue to serve in the United States military,” the public information office of the police force said. “They possess a profound duty to protect our commonwealth and defend our country.”
The service members were preparing for their deployment as of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan. Among them were more than 90 men and women from Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, and Ohio. They will be deployed for at least a year.
“Without them, we don’t have the military and the country doesn’t have the force to defend freedom, the Constitution, and all the things that go with it,” Brig. Gen. Todd Lazaroski, Deputy Commanding General, 412th Theater Engineer Command said.
