The Pennsylvania National Guard celebrated a warm homecoming in State College yesterday, parking tanks and helicopters outside Beaver Stadium and packing the Bryce Jordan Center with more than 20,000 troops.

"I've been in the service for 14 years," Mike Chirdon said. "And I have never seen this many troops in one place."

The gathering set a record as the single largest one-day mobilization in the history of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The soldiers were assembled for recognition. The event, called Operation Salute, began with an outdoor tailgate and live music for the troops and their families. Six musical groups performed on the track and field area, playing everything from patriotic tunes to Celtic rock and pop.

At 1 p.m., the guests were seated in the BJC for a formal ceremony featuring Penn State President Graham Spanier, Ronald Burgess of National Intelligence, Adjutant Gen. of Pennsylvania Jessica Wright and Gov. Ed Rendell.

The event concluded with musical entertainment from country singer Craig Morgan and the Beach Boys.

Tiffany Gentle and her family traveled to Operation Salute from New York to introduce her two young nieces to the Guard. Their parents, who both served in the military, were killed two years ago in a car accident while at home in Allentown between tours of duty.

"My nieces get to meet people who knew their parents and get to know what their jobs were all about," she said.

Spanier delivered the opening remarks at the formal ceremony.

He said 672 Penn State students and employees have been deployed since Sept. 11, 2001.

"We must continue to promote peace so that your efforts will not be in vain," Spanier said.

Burgess said it was a great day to be a soldier, but their successes had not come easily or cheaply.

"You have signed up to serve in places others cannot even pronounce or locate on a map," he said. "But sacrifice is nothing new to the Pennsylvania National Guard."

The warmest reception was for Wright, who listed names of recently deceased Guard members later in the ceremony.

"In Pennsylvania our morale is high, and our purpose is crystal clear," she said.

A visibly emotional Rendell spoke to the troops' families during the ceremony.

"There is nothing we can do to compensate for the loss of their loved ones," he said. "We will never stop breathing for them."

He also read an e-mail from a Louisiana resident about the Guard's service after Hurricane Katrina, commending the troops for their work in rescuing residents and securing the area.

Chirdon said the Guard's activity has increased significantly since Sept. 11, 2001.

"Until then I was never deployed," he said. "Since then I have been deployed twice, once to Kosovo and once for Katrina."

Chirdon said the event's timing was good because currently, most of the Guard's major units are back from deployment.

Wright said since Sept. 11, 2001, Guard members have constantly been in one of three states.

"It's either getting ready to go, gone or just getting back," she said.

Jesse Moore-Gibbs, who serves in the Guard, said she brought her son Xavier to Penn State for Operation Salute. She said his favorite parts of the day were seeing the helicopters and riding in the front seat on the way to State College.

"I think it's nice that he gets to see what the military is all about," Moore-Gibbs said.

David Rambeau said Operation Salute was a much-needed event.

"The Guard's really heading in a positive direction," he said. "It's good to get choked up."