Another about 250 National Guard members are expected to be deployed overseas this spring.
Col. Robert T. Brooks, 104th Fighter Wing Commander, presents Josiah Mattos, 4, with the "We Serve Too Medal." The medals were given to all the children who's parent served with the 104th Fighter Wing in Afghanistan or Iraq. Josiah's father, Senior Airman Saul Mattos, of Chicopee, served with the 104th Security Forces in Baghdad.
WESTFIELD – For the six months that he was in Afghanistan, Col. Sean Collins worked in a hospital helping the injured and overseeing clinical research to find the best way to treat the wounded.
At the same time Master Sgt. James Parnell, of Holyoke, was in Baghdad, Iraq, providing security and helping train Iraqi soldiers.
During the past year, 28 members of the Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing, stationed at Barnes Regional Airport, have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. Saturday they and their families were honored.
At the same time, the wing held a change of command ceremony to welcome three new leaders. Lt. Col. Robert T. Henry took over as Maintenance Group commander, Lt. Col. Charles Wilson took over as head of Logistics Readiness Squadron and Lt. Col. Denise Boyer accepted command of Civil Engineer Squadron.
Col. Robert T. Brooks, commander of the 104th Fighter Wing, welcomed the new leaders, but his focus was on the members who spent time in Afghanistan and Iraq.
After congratulating those who served, he thanked families for their sacrifices, hung “We Serve Too” medals around the necks of the children of the Air National Guard members and posed for photographs with each family.
During his speech he told members to prepare for the next deployment in the spring when an estimated 250 of the 1,000 wing members will be deployed for about three months. For security reasons, Brooks could not reveal the location or mission details.
After the ceremony Collins, of Southwick, said he was called up for the sixth-month deployment because of his work in research. An assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Collins holds a doctorate in clinical research and is a nurse practitioner.
His job was to evaluate care being given and to make sure research protocols were followed.
“They are doing a lot of research on the use of tourniquets,” he said.
He said he was particularly interested in the so-called walking blood bank. Because there is not enough refrigeration to store blood, employees and visitors would give blood that was administered to patients within 20 minutes of it being donated.
Some of the National Guard members deployed alone or in small groups and were assigned to a variety of jobs. The Security Forces took a group of about 20 people to Baghdad for six months, said Parnell, who is a Holyoke police officer in addition to being a master sergeant in the unit.
His deployment returned in August after 181 days in Iraq providing security at Sather Air Base. Members worked with other military units and helped train Iraqi forces.
“They have a great willingness to learn. They want to take over control of their country,” he said.
The deployment went very smoothly. Only one of the 175 of those working with the group was wounded, and he was able to continue with the deployment after treatment.
This was the third deployment for Parnell, but for Senior Airman Saul Mattos, of Chicopee, the Iraq deployment was his first.
“It was a good experience,” he said. “If I did it again, I would know better how to prepare.”
His wife, Jenice Mattos, said it was difficult having her husband gone for six months, especially since the couple has a 4-year-old son.
“I got help from family members and attending church,” she said.