After serving as an active duty helicopter pilot in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Randy Maltby (top left in his CH-47, and lower left pictured right with Families United founder Chuck Larson) returned to serve his country in 1983 as a National Guardsman.  Maltby’s unit, Company G 185th Aviation “Heavy Helicopter” Combined Michigan and Mississippi National Guard, arrived at Balad Airfield, Iraq to perform combat support missions in March 2004.   

Flying over and into the most dangerous areas of Iraq, Maltby says, “To me, every time our crews strapped on their gear and mounted the aircraft they were performing outstanding acts of bravery to support the troops in the firebases and on the front lines, by hauling much needed replacement troops, fuel, supplies and ammunition.”

Although the unit witnessed the enemy’s weapons become more refined and their targets more discerning, Maltby observed, “When we left, we felt that there was a more unified people of Iraq from when we had arrived. We heard tales of Iraqi people telling authorities of who might be involved in some of the insurgency attacks, which would have been unheard of in January 2004. Plus the fact that the Iraqi men were joining the Police Force and National Guard in such high numbers when those two groups were targeted so heavily by the insurgents.”

Proud that he was part in “helping a country of people who can and will be able to live in a free Iraq,” Maltby recalls, “In January 2005, just before we were being  redeployed, we witnessed the Iraqi people making the most unified show of heroism by getting out in the face of grave threats to vote for freedom.”

Not only was he a part of history and helping others to establish democracy but Chief Maltby also developed a special bond with his fellow soldiers and is proud that all of them were able to return safely to their families.  “As the senior (most mature) pilot from Michigan, I went to Iraq with several younger pilots whom I worked with for a number of years and felt they were more my kids than just other soldiers. And we all came home to our families.”