October 26th is National Day of The Deployed

October 26 is annually designated as National Day of the Deployed.

National Day of the Deployed honors all of the brave men and woman who have been deployed and are sacrificing, or have sacrificed, their lives to fight for our country and acknowledges their families that they are separated from.

National Day of the Deployed was founded in 2006 by Shelle Michaels Aberle. Ms. Aberle approached then North Dakota Governor John Hoeven for support of a ND Proclamation for the day. Governor Hoeven was the first Governor in the United States to note the deployed troops in a formal proclamation.

October 26 was chosen by Aberle’s cousin, Bottineau, ND native LTC David Hosna who was deployed to Iraq from Kaiserslautern, Germany.  October 26 is the date of Hosna’s birthday.

Grand Forks, North Dakota hosted the first event.  The first units honored by this proclamation were:NDARNG 1-188th ADA SECFOR and JLENS deployed to Afghanistan.

2011 – Senator John Hoeven led the efforts and co-sponsored S.RES.295 for a national day of honor.  On October 18, 2011 it was passed unanimously for the first national day honoring the deployed troops and their families.