Dean Hagerman remembers a rocket hitting the building he was in just days after arriving in Iraq in early December 2004.
Hagerman was one of the people mobilized in May of that year as part of the Idaho National Guard’s 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team (the largest deployment of Idaho National Guard soldiers in the state’s history, although other states are also part of the team).
And this weekend, brigade members will gather in the Treasure Valley to commemorate the mobilization, honor the fallen and celebrate the friendships forged.
“I won’t say it was hell, but it was hard and challenging. We grew together through this experience (of deployment).”
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the United States attacked Iraq in March 2003 in part because of then-President George W. Bush’s false claim that the Middle Eastern country possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Hagerman said her mission is to ensure stability and promote democracy.
This weekend’s events began on Friday and continue through Sunday. Former Governor Dirk Kempthorne spoke to former brigade members on Saturday.
This weekend, we remember soldier Carrie French from Caldwell, who died in Iraq in 2005 at the age of 19.
“It’s an opportunity to heal,” Hagerman said. “The memorial ceremonies are a more serious event, but otherwise it’s meant to be a party to enjoy each other’s company and share what’s going on in people’s lives.”
