LEWISTON – A panel discussion and forum about the role the Maine National Guard has performed while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom will be held Thursday, Feb. 9, in Lewiston-Auburn College.

Sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Maine in collaboration with the University of Southern Maine at L-A, it will feature three panelists who will share their experiences of serving in Iraq, what it meant to them and what they believe their service meant to the Iraqi people.

Maj. Gen. John W. Libby, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, will lead the panel discussion. Libby, a Lewiston native and University of Maine graduate, held various active duty command and staff positions with the Army in both Vietnam and Germany before joining the Maine National Guard in 1975.

Prior to his current position, he was commander of the 240th Engineer Group and Task Force commander, Fuertes Caminos 94-North (Guatemala).

The second panelist will be Lt. Col. Mark Leahey, a Lewiston native and a graduate of Bates College. He served as executive officer with the Field Artillery, 172 FA Corps RAOC at Base Camp Adder in southern Iraq. He lives in New Hampshire and is employed by Pfizer Corp.

The third panelist will be 1st Sgt. Michael Lord who served with Battery A of the 1-152 Field Artillery in Iraq. A Brunswick native and a graduate of USM, he works full-time with the Guard in the Civil Operations Section of the Counterdrug Program.

The forum will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the college, 51 Westminster St.

For more information, people can contact the World Affairs Council at 780-4552 or visit the Web site at www.wacmaine.org.

Copy the Story Link