The Adjutant General of the Kentucky National Guard is in Iraq this week visiting with dozens of Guard personnel from the commonwealth.Major General Ed Tonini says some of the troops are enduring multiple deployments, but their enthusiasm apparently hasn't waned."I am concerned like a lot of people are concerned about wearing these soldiers out, but so far I must say that I have not seen it. We have people that are fired up and ready to go every time we ask them, every time the whistle blows we have lots of hands that go up," Tonini said in a Thursday conference call.Tonini has been visiting this week with members of the Shelbyville-based 1163rd Medical Company, which is providing medical care at a detention facility at Camp Bucca and the 301st Chemical Company, which includes soldiers from Louisville, Maysville and Morehead. That unit is providing security in Baghdad's Green Zone.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.