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General lauds community for its support of military

Mar-25-2006 » Filed Under: Homefront

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By MARGARET FRIEDENAUER, Staff Writer

Alaska has thousands of soldiers and airmen deployed overseas, several sites integral to the National Missile Defense project and thousands of miles of training airspace. With that in mind, U.S. Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright noted Friday the significance of Alaska to the military as a whole.

"It important for us to understand the essence of what this state really brings to the table for the U.S. military," he said.

High-ranking military officers, local officials, soldiers, spouses of deployed soldiers and civilians gathered Friday night at the Military Appreciation Banquet to honor the reciprocal relationship of service members and the Fairbanks community. The banquet was highlighted by four-star general and keynote speaker Cartwright.

Cartwright is in charge of the U.S. Strategic Command. He is a key adviser to the president and secretary of defense for the nation's strategic capability, including missile defense. Cartwright made few comments Friday night about the National Missile Defense program at Fort Greely, except to say work is progressing at the site.

Instead he focused on Alaska's strategic location and the vast training spaces in the skies over Eielson Air Force Base. He trained here as a Marine fighter pilot nearly 17 years ago, he said.

Mostly, he lauded the local community support of the soldiers and airmen serving locally and overseas. He said service members appreciate and need to know that while they are deployed, their families are being supported in their communities and that they will be welcomed when they return.

"Coming home to a community that appreciates you is really important," Cartwright said.

The tradition of the banquet started 38 years ago when Jim and Rose Mary Messer invited local service members to dinners at their home. The event grew and in 1974 it was moved from the Messers' home to a local banquet hall. Friday night, the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce hosted about 350 people at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel Gold Room to carry on the Messers' tradition.


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