Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso spent Thanksgiving in the Middle East, celebrating the American holiday with members of the Wyoming National Guard currently stationed overseas.
Barrasso traveled to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to visit with the Wyoming National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery Forward. There are over 360 Wyomingites in the battalion, representing over 40 different hometowns in the Cowboy State.
Barrasso shared a meal with the service members while celebrating their commitment to the nation’s security, continuing his tradition of spending Thanksgiving with Wyomingites who can’t be home for the holiday.
“These soldiers are a long way from home defending our nation and our freedoms,” he said. “It was an honor and privilege to visit with and share stories of their families and our great state with these brave men and women.”
Thanks For Service Overseas
The Wyoming National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery Forward, has deployed to the Middle East multiple times in the last few decades. The volunteer deployments help the battalion improve its skills and readiness for whatever may be required of them, domestically and internationally, for the nation’s national defense.
The Wyoming soldiers currently stationed in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are part of the first full battalion deployment in over 70 years to conduct a field artillery mission in the Middle East. Barrasso lauded this achievement during his visit.
“Hundreds of Wyoming’s finest soldiers are bravely serving in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait in one of the largest overseas deployments of Wyoming service members,” he said. “Each of them makes Wyoming proud, and I made sure to let them know how grateful folks back home are for their service.”
Military Tradition
The legend of Thanksgiving might go back to the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock, but the military tradition of celebrating a National Day of Thanksgiving dates back to the Revolutionary War.
Both the Continental Congress and General George Washington declared days of Thanksgiving in 1777 to recognize the military achievements of the Revolutionary Army. Washington would declare the nation’s first Thanksgiving Day while serving as President in 1789.
Abraham Lincoln set the “modern” precedent for the Thanksgiving holiday during the Civil War. He declared a national Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 26, 1863, the final Thursday of the month, when the holiday has been celebrated every year since.
(Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
(Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
(Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
(Cowboy State Daily Staff)
A Little Bit Of Wyoming
Barrasso’s visits to Wyoming soldiers serving overseas are his way of celebrating the American holiday. During his terms as Wyoming’s senior senator, he’s made several Thanksgiving trips to the Middle East.
In 2020, Barrasso broke bread with members of the 153rd Airlift Wing and 187th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, supporting airlift operations and medical evacuations out of Qatar. They enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, he did the same with Wyoming service members stationed at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, the home to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
“Bringing a little bit of Wyoming to our troops serving overseas on Thanksgiving is a tradition I look forward to every year,” Barrasso said during his 2021 visit to Bahrain. “I made sure to let them know that everyone at home is thinking of them and looking forward to their safe return.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
