The 81st Brigade will hold Freedom Salute ceremonies throughout the state over the next couple of weeks.

The ceremony is part of a nationwide National Guard campaign to publicly acknowledge the service of its soldiers who deployed. It’s often a nice celebration for the families, who get to hear their loved ones’ name called and see them walk across the stage.

Here’s the list of celebrations. All start at 1 p.m. except the event in Pasco.

Oct. 10:
Headquarters, 1st Battalion, 161st Infantry Regiment: Spokane Community Center
Headquarters, 181st Brigade Support Battalion: Tacoma Community Center
Bravo Company, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment: SeaTac Holiday Inn
Headquarters, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment: Red Lion, Olympia

Oct. 11
Alpha Company, 181st Brigade Support Battalion: Tacoma Convention Center
Headquarters, 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment: SeaTac Holiday Inn
Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 146th Field Artillery Regiment: Red Lion, Olympia

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Lots of local stuff today:

5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
Funeral set for soldier with Carlisle ties killed in Afghanistan [The Patriot-News]
Funeral services set for fallen soldier [The Sentinel]
Fallen Soldier Gets Welcome Homecoming [NewsOn6.com]

81st Brigade Combat Team:
WW native works to protect convoys in Iraq [Walla Walla Union-Bulletin]

17th Fires Brigade:
Riverines stand ready to secure Iraq’s waterways [theredbulls.org]
Water trucks help fight against cholera in Iraq [theredbulls.org]
Soldiers Speak to Iraqis About U.S. Presence [DVIDS]

Washington National Guard:
1161st Trans. …

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The final plane of 81st Brigade Combat Team soldiers returning from an 11-month mobilization will return to McChord Air Force Base on Sunday.

About 160 members of the Washington National Guard’s largest unit are expected on the flight. After landing at McChord, they will attend a homecoming ceremony on North Fort Lewis.

The brigade of 3,500 soldiers – about 2,400 of whom are from Washington – began arriving at McChord and Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane in late July. The soldiers are returning from Fort McCoy, Wis., where they are attending briefings about pay, benefits and transitioning back into …

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