Mother, son in same Guard unit headed to Iraq

Mother, son in same Guard unit headed to Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday May 11, 2008 17:09:30 EDT

TEANECK, N.J. — Mother-and-son soldiers are set to go to Iraq in the same New Jersey National Guard unit.

Sgt. Carmen Villegas, a 46-year-old combat medic, was transferred two weeks ago to the same Teaneck-based unit as her son, Sgt. Felipe Diaz.

Diaz told The Record of Bergen County that he was given the task of introducing the newest sergeant at the 250th Brigade Support Battalion’s Foxtrot Company. “This is my mom,” the 29-year-old Paterson police officer said, laughing as he recalled the moment.

The two will be among more than 2,800 soldiers of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who are heading to Iraq in September. It’ll be New Jersey’s largest overseas deployment of Guard soldiers since World War II.

New Jersey Guard spokesman Kryn Westhoven was hard-pressed to think of another instance when a mother and son have been in the same company.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/ap_mother_son_iraq_051108/