SACRAMENTO, Calif. – More than 140 soldiers of the California National Guard’s (CNG) 132nd Multi-Role Bridge Company will be welcomed home from Afghanistan by friends and family on Sunday and Monday at airports across California.

During their yearlong deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the nearly 190 Soldiers served as the sole U.S. Army bridge-building unit in all of Afghanistan. The 132nd provided Soldiers and equipment to transport, assemble, disassemble, retrieve and maintain a wide array of bridging systems throughout the entire theatre. They also transported and emplaced more than 12,000 tons of gravel to improve roadways and trained their Afghan counterparts to operate a full spectrum of roadway construction equipment. All told the unit covered more than 11,000 miles as they emplaced nine bridges, removed seven others, inspected 31 structures and repaired more than 60 bridges along the country’s main routes.

Throughout their tour the 132nd’s daily operations exposed them to the constant threat of roadside bombs and insurgent attacks. Though 11 of the 132nd’s Soldiers received Purple Heart Medals for injuries sustained in combat, none were killed.    

More than 2,900 California National Guard Soldiers have deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan since 9/11, and four CNG soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in support of operations there.

Media interested in covering the brief homecomings at Redding or Sacramento airports should contact 1st Lt. Jan Bender at 916-869-0709 for coordination.