Guard soldiers return, honored

Sixteen area Pa. Army National Guard soldiers from the armory in McKean County who recently returned from deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan were honored at a Freedom Salute program in Kane.

Among the recognized soldiers was Barry Hughes, who has returned to his McKean County home after undergoing treatment for injuries suffered in Iraq. Hughes, who is now retired from the National Guard, served with the first group of Kane-based soldiers deployed in Iraq in 2004-05.

Other soldiers who were honored for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom were: Sgt. Hila Plotts of Meadville, formerly of Coudersport; Spc. Amanda Leavitt of St. Marys; Spc. Angela Cribbs of St. Marys; Sgt. Robert Kennedy of Johnsonburg; and Sgt. Raymond Kelley of Smethport.

The Kane-based unit is now Detachment 1, Company A,

128th Brigade Support Battalion. The unit, which is involved with transportation, has 69 members.

More than 50 of its soldiers have answered the call for deployment in Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany since 2003. A total of 15 have been deployed overseas more than once.