Oakvale Elementary Extends Heartfelt Support to Deploying National Guard Unit
OAKVALE, W.Va. – As a West Virginia National Guard unit prepares for a critical deployment to the Middle East later this year, a piece of Mercer County’s unwavering spirit will accompany them. Oakvale Elementary School has officially adopted the 111th Engineering Brigade of the West Virginia Army National Guard, demonstrating profound community support.
The initiative saw dedicated teachers at Oakvale Elementary spend their weekend meticulously crafting pocket prayers, each a small token of hope and solidarity for the soldiers. These heartfelt messages were presented to the brigade’s soldiers on Monday by Principal LaCosta Hodges, marking the formal adoption ahead of their anticipated summer deployment.
The connection runs deep for Principal Hodges, whose husband, Col. Rocky Hodges, commands the deploying brigade. “It’s amazing. It’s amazing for the troops to know that we have that support back home,” Col. Hodges shared. “They supported us back in 2021 during our last deployment, and so this is just a continuation of that. To know that that community support is there. We’re actually able to do FaceTime back with the students and we’re able to share the things that we’re doing there for the good.”
Principal LaCosta Hodges emphasized the school’s long-standing tradition of supporting deployed military units. “We have a very patriotic school and community, and adopting a brigade is something that we did the last time a West Virginia unit was deployed,” she explained. “And it worked so well that we wanted to do it again and make it even better this time.”
For her family, the bond is particularly personal. “My husband is the brigade commander of the unit that is deploying. And so for me, this is great that we can send our support and teach kids all the things that go on in military families because we’re living it,” she added, highlighting the educational aspect for students.
To further engage the students and help them grasp the duration of the deployment, they will participate in tracking the brigade’s time away using a paper chain and toy soldiers, fostering a tangible connection to the soldiers’ service.
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