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BLUFFDALE — A decade of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has drawn thousands of Utahns from their homes, and put new demands on citizen soldiers. That service has also prompted new hope for people who lived without any measure of freedom.
But the human cost of war is also great. In Iraq, 4,469 members of the U.S. Military have died in battle. In Afghanistan, as of Sept. 30, nearly 1,800 servicemen and women have died.
"I think the level is what is astonishing, when you look at how many citizen soldiers have deployed — not just once or twice, but many of them four or five times." Brig. Gen. Burton, Utah National Guard
With President Barack Obama's announcement that all U.S. Forces will leave Iraq, hundreds of Utahns will return by the end of the year. Utah's National Guard leaders way community support has allowed members of the Guard to fulfill their duties.
"They're doing this because they want to be part of something larger than themselves," said Brig. Gen. Jefferson Burton.
Burton calls the last 10 years a "whirlwind" as he looks back at the work and sacrifice Utahns have given to the fight against terror. He knows of the courage of these volunteers.
"I think the level is what is astonishing, when you look at how many citizen soldiers have deployed — not just once or twice, but many of them four or five times," Burton said.
Burton, who served as commander of the 1457th Engineer Combat Battalion for 15 months in Iraq, said children there would approach him and say they wanted to be American soldiers.
He talked about the "untold stories" of Utahns' service,like building software to help school teachers. "(It's) stuff that you wouldn't expect soldiers to do, but they did it in their own time just to make a difference," he said.
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Click the link above to share your stories and say thank you to Utah's solders.Roughly 6,500 Utah Guardsmen have deployed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That's equivalent to almost the entire population of Salem in Utah County.
Burton says in his 30-year career, he has not seen higher quality soldiers than those in Utah. "(They're) folks with tremendous skills. We have city planners, we have attorneys, we have airline pilots, school teachers, college professors, law enforcement — all that put on a uniform and go and serve," he said.
When they return, Burton credits the community — especially employers — for helping troops and families with the transition.
Challenges remain. Burton said an uncertain economy and political contingencies make planning more difficult. Still, the focus is the same, and he says he sees "a lot of great things in the future of the National Guard."
Right now, Burton says the Guard is operating at full strength and has even had to slow down recruiting.
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