About 100 more National Guardsmen slated to arrive in Indiana on Tuesday

Indiana's Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger announced the Guardsmen will be the first passengers to arrive at the new Weir Cook Terminal at the Indianapolis International Airport following its dedication that day.

Many involved in the dedication ceremony, along with other dignitaries, will be on hand to welcome home the soldiers. Among this group will be Ambassador Randall L. Tobias, President of the Indianapolis Airport Authority Board of

Directors.

"This is an extraordinary event on many levels," Tobias said. "However, what will make this day truly special will be this group of patriotic men and women who have served our nation with such courage and dignity, returning home on Veterans Day to our terminal named after Hoosier veteran and aviation pioneer H. Weir Cook."

Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger agreed.

"This is a historic and humbling event in many ways for the Indiana National Guard. I speak for more than 14,000 Indiana Guard troops when I say we are honored to have our Soldiers return on Veteran's Day, which is also the same day our new airport is dedicated. These Hoosier men and women of the 76th Brigade responded to their nation's call and performed admirably while serving in Iraq."

The soldiers are scheduled to arrive at the Weir Cook Terminal at approximately 2 p.m.

The unit is headquartered in Indianapolis, but has subordinate units and soldiers assigned throughout the state -- including about 140 Guardsmen who comprise Combat Team Alpha 1-151 Team Avengers from the Linton and Vincennes armories.

Guard officials did not announce if any members of the unit based in Linton will be a part of the group that arrives next week.

The entire unit is scheduled to return no later than the first week in December, according to Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry, Public Affairs NCO, Indiana Joint Force Headquarters in Indianapolis.

The brigade is commanded by Col. Courtney Carr, and the brigade's top enlisted soldier is Command Sgt. Maj. Greg Rhoades.

The first group from the 76th Brigade of about 50 Guardsmen in an "advance team" arrived back home in Indiana on Tuesday.

During the unit's deployment, it supported security missions, aerial reconnaissance missions, presence patrols, convoy escorts, and high profile reconstruction efforts to the Iraqi economy.

The National Guard is planning a grand scale welcome back ceremony sometime in mid-to-late January that will be staged in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. No specific date has been scheduled for this event that will honor the returning members of the 76th Brigade as well as any National Guard units from the state who have arrived back home during calendar year 2008.

The local guard unit was activated Dec. 10, 2007 and deployed on Jan. 2 following a send-off celebration at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

They went to Fort Steward, Ga., for about a month of additional training before heading to Iraq.

While in the combat zone, the Avenger unit has been escorting convoys and carrying out a variety of humanitarian missions.