***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE*** Assembly Democrats Welcome Home the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team

***MULTIMEDIA PACKAGE***

ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS WELCOME HOME THE 50TH INFANTRY BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM

(TRENTON) - Assembly members Jack Conners, Annette Quijano, Upendra J. Chivukula, Linda Stender, Wayne P. DeAngelo and Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman today issued a multimedia package expressing their warm welcome home to the New Jersey National Guard members of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (50th IBCT).

The nearly 3,000 soldiers who volunteered to serve in Iraq were honored today during ceremonies in Trenton.

The return of the 50th IBCT marks the end of a one-year deployment to Iraq - the largest New Jersey National Guard deployment since World War II.  While deployed, the unit played a pivotal role in transferring authority of Baghdad's "Green Zone" back to Iraqi forces and were responsible for the humane treatment of more than 20,000 detainees throughout Iraq.

The multimedia package consists of a video press release of the ceremony, audio of same, photos from the ceremony and a transcript of statements from the legislators.

The video can be accessed directly via our Web site - www.assemblydems.com - or by clicking here.

The audio file is available upon request.

The photos can be accessed via the Assembly Democrats Facebook page or by clicking here.

A transcript of comments is appended below:

Assemblyman Jack Conners (D-Camden), Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman:

"This is just a great day to welcome home our National Guard from Iraq.  We have about 2,800 men and women who have put themselves in harm's way for us.  This is just a great day for all of the citizens of New Jersey to honor them."

Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union):

"We have hundreds of people that have served this country and now are back and I wanted to tell their families that, no matter what I had scheduled today, it was most important for me to be here and to say thank you to all of them."

Assemblyman Upendra J. Chivukula (D-Somerset):

"They are volunteer soldiers who go out there and fight for freedom, to protect this great country as well as the world and democracy.  It is such a joyous day welcoming them and I wish all the best for them."

Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Union):

"As a mother, wife and grandmother, I just feel so fortunate that we have the willingness and commitment of these men and women to protect our country and serve our nation.  I just think that as an American citizen we are indeed blessed."

Assemblyman Wayne P. DeAngelo (D-Mercer):

"Today truly is a day of celebration. Having the troops come back home with their families  is the most important thing.  I'm happy and excited for these families.  We need to get them back to civilian life, get their jobs back and keep their families happy and healthy."

Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer):

"I'm just so excited.  Every soldier that went to Iraq that we visited at Fort Bliss is coming home safely and securely, reuniting with their families and coming back to a grateful state.  I just feel particularly blessed and very, very thankful that our soldiers are trained so well and our soldiers have the kind of unity and protection of one another and that they are home here today so that we can celebrate them."

Conners:

"These are your neighbors, these are people who represented us, put themselves in harm's way and we should be here honoring them.  This is the kind of day we all waited for.  I know the Governor, the Adjutant General and all the members of the Legislature looked forward to this.  This is a great day and I, in particular, am especially pleased to be here."

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