Oklahoma National Guard Support Fellow Troops
GIVE ‘EM THE BIRDS: The 219th Air Guard EIS, who proudly wear Oklahoma’s state bird, the Scissor-tail Flycatcher, on their uniforms currently provide communications support for the 120th Engineer Battalion, who wear the famous Thunderbird patch.
When asked about ideas for a title for a news article about the mission of the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 219th Engineer Installation Squadron, the response was “Give ‘em the birds!”
This is in reference to two of the major patches worn by Oklahoma Troops: The Scissor-tail Flycatcher (Oklahoma State Bird) worn by the 219th Air Guard , and the famous Thunderbird worn by the 120th Engineer Battalion. For this tour, the 219th is part of a larger team spread across Regional Command (RC)-South that includes the 205th and 277th .
The 219th currently provides communications support for the 120th En. Bn. by rerouting and installing new cables during remodeling of the Valhalla Command Compound, the 120th En. Bn.’s base of operations. The work the 219th provides allows the 120th En. Bn. to more efficiently carry out their operations and communicate more effectively.
“It’s great to work with other Oklahomans,” says Air Guard Staff Sgt. David Wintrich. He says his favorite thing about working with other Oklahomans across service branches is, “the camaraderie, the understanding of the lingo and just the way we all work together; the bond that we already have between people that live just minutes from each other.”
The Airmen from the 219th will continue working with the 120th En. Bn. for a little while longer before moving on throughout RC-South to assist other units in their missions as well.
Updated 01-15-2013
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