[COLOR=#222222]LEXINGTON, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear will join Adjutant General Edward W.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Tonini and thousands of University of Kentucky basketball fans in the[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]presentation of a valorous unit award streamer to the Soldiers of the[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Kentucky Army National Guard’s 201st Engineer Battalion at half-time during[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]tomorrow’s game between UK and Loyola at Rupp Arena.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Headquartered in Ashland with units in Cynthiana, Hazard, Jackson, Olive[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Hill, Pikeville and Prestonsburg, the 201st was mobilized in March 2008 to[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]conduct route reconnaissance and area clearance operations in support of[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Operation Enduring Freedom. The 500+ members of the “Workhorse Battalion”[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]were credited for disposing of more than 200,000 landmines and improvised[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]explosive devices in Afghanistan, clearing over a million square meters of[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]terrain.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Other accomplishments during the 201st deployment to Afghanistan include:[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]* 65 percent of the Battalion was in direct contact with the enemy[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]earning the 201st Engineer Battalion the Combat Action Unit Streamer.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]* 413 Combat Action Badges were awarded to Soldiers for direct[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]contact with the enemy.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]* 44 Soldiers received the Purple Heart for injuries sustained from[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]combat.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]* 21 Bronze Star Medals for Valor and 32 Army Commendation Medals[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]for Valor were earned for actions while engaging the enemy.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]* 9 Combat Medical Badges earned by medical personnel giving aid[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]during active combat.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]The 201st lost one Soldier during its service in Afghanistan. Sgt. Daniel[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]Wallace, 27 of Dry Ridge, Grant County, Ky. was killed Friday, Oct. 31, 2008[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]when his unit was attacked by enemy forces while conducting a route clearing[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#222222]mission to remove IEDs in West Paktika Province, Afghanistan.[/COLOR]
