Rep. Zach Mako, R-Lehigh/Northampton, a combat veteran and U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the Pennsylvania National Guard, today announced that he will deploy to the Middle East this fall.

Mako, attached to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment, Fort Indiantown Gap, which traces its history to Battle of the Bulge, received orders to support Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, where he will join more than 50 Army National Guard soldiers.

OFS is part of the Global War on Terrorism and is the official name for the mission succeeding Operation Enduring Freedom.

“It is an honor to serve the great people in the 183rd District, both as a state representative and soldier,” Mako said. “I take both oaths very seriously and I’ve been humbled by the support of my family, friends and neighbors during every aspect of my duties.”

Mako enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard in January 2008 and has been a Chinook pilot since July 2011. He was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2012 for nine months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2016, he was selected to be an adviser to Estonia’s top military officials. In 2017, he completed elite training as an Aviation Mission Survivability Officer.