 The women and men who serve 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard have suffered some very recent and tragic losses of their fellow guardsmen this year. A guardsman lost his life to suicide recently and the 128th Air Refueling Wing also had two other deaths due to a fatal car accident and one cancer. It is compounded grief and loss for these men and women who give so much to serve and protect our country. The LCC K-9 Comfort dogs and their handlers were asked to be there for multiple visits to support and care for the guardsmen and women the Director of Psychological Health, Health, and Wellness Resource Team. The 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, has had a long and illustrious record of service to the State of Wisconsin and the United States of America. From natural disasters to service in the Korean War, Desert Storm, Restore Hope and Deny Flight, the men and women of the 128th Air Refueling Wing have responded to changing world events and tasking requirements with dignity, honor, and courage. The handlers and ministry partners spent time at the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, with multiple visits in the last two weeks with LCC Kare 9 Military Ministry Dog Samson (Zion Lutheran - Marengo, IL), and LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs Charity (Brookfield Lutheran - Brookfield, WI), Mary & Rejoice (St. Paul's - Janesville, Wisconsin), and Tobias (Lord of Glory - Grayslake, Illinois). The LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry teams sat quietly with the men and women as they continue to grieve those guardsmen who have died. Samson’s handler learned that Josh, who recently died, was a very highly regarded member of this family of brave men and women who wear the uniform and serve our great nation, the State of Wisconsin and their local community. He is greatly missed. Josh passionately committed 27 years to the Air Force, completing many deployments that took him to Kuwait, Hawaii, Alaska, Germany, Iraq, and Spain (his favorite). Until his departure, he continued to devote many hours to the Honor Guard, working to bring tribute to many veterans and their families during military funerals around Wisconsin. Apart from his military service, he volunteered with his family at the Salvation Army, ringing bells, singing, and serving the Christmas Day family feast. Recently, he volunteered to pin veterans at a retirement community this past Veteran's Day to honor their service to this country. When he wasn't volunteering, he continued to find ways to help others, including his annual Christmas morning shoveling for various neighbors, often enlisting the help of his family. Josh was a proud American and was absolutely honored to serve his country and others. A handler shared this from his visits with the 128th Air Refueling Wing, “Once again, I was amazed by the number of years many of these guardsmen and women have served with this unit. It really is one big extended family, and I continue to pray that they receive God’s comfort and healing as they mourn their losses. We also look forward to building and growing an ongoing relationship with the unit in the long term.” It was such a beautiful moment to see the smiles on the faces of the guardsmen and women and to know in that moment they felt loved, seen, and comforted. We pray for the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard for God’s strength, courage, peace, and reassurance as they move forward from these losses. We pray for God’s protection as they continue to serve their community and country. "The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." (Psalm 29:11) Comments are closed.
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