Toms River Residents Among 450 New Jerseyans Deployed to Qatar

Family and friends gathered at Doughboy Field at Joint Base-McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst to say their goodbyes at a New Jersey National Guard Deployment ceremony held last week. In all, 450 New Jersey guard members are headed to serve in Afghanistan, including a number of Toms River residents.

The local Guard members were joined by Mayor Thomas Kelaher and other local officials during the ceremony, which was led by Brigadier General Michael L. Cunniff, the Adjutant General for the New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs.

The National Guard troops are headed off to Fort Bliss, Tex. for a few weeks to prepare for their mission in Qatar, which will last 11 months. Officials for the National Guard say the deployed men and women won’t see combat in Afghanistan, but will be responsible for operating and protecting military bases in Qatar.

"The nation should be grateful that we have citizen soldiers like these who leave their family and jobs behind to spend a year serving their country, particularly at a time like this when there’s so much turmoil in that part of the world,” Kelaher said.

The Toms River residents being deployed are:

• Sergeant Daniel Aiello
• Sergeant Derick Delima
• Private First Class Kyle Gervasio
• Sergeant Jeremy Marrero
• Specialist John Palmer
• Specialist Mike Prifield
• Private Second Class Ciro Ulinski
  
• Staff Sergeant Brandon Montgomery
  
• Staff Sergeant John Scott
• Specialist Dylan Walsh
  
• Sergeant Mark Wilson