Kingston-Based Guard Unit Mobilizing for Iraq

WHO:

More than 90 members of the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 104th Military Police Battalion, NY Army National Guard, plus nearly 200 family members and friends.

WHAT:

Departure ceremony for federally mobilized NY National Guard Soldiers.

WHEN:

2 p.m. Friday, 18 May.

WHERE:

Kingston Community Center, 467 Broadway, Kingston, NY.

Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment of the 104th Military Police Battalion is being called up for federal active duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom and will depart Kingston in the days ahead. A formal departure ceremony expected to last about 45 minutes has been scheduled for this Friday at the Kingston Community Center. The unit will report to Fort Bliss, Texas to conduct post mobilization training before being shipped to theater. The unit is expected to serve on federal active duty for one year. The unit is comprised of military police personnel and support staff. Its mission is to provide command and control of subordinate military police companies operating in the unit’s assigned area of responsibility. The unit is deploying to replace a similar unit already in theater. Soldiers assigned to the unit come from communities throughout the Hudson Valley and several are from New York City, including Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island. Additional Background Information: Approximately 6000 members of the NY Army National Guard have been called up for federal active duty for Operation Iraqi Freedom since January 2003. Nearly all of these Soldiers have returned. At present less than 300 members of the NY Army National Guard are serving in Iraq. Previously deployed forces of the New York Army National Guard include two full infantry battalion task forces, the equivalent of four full military police companies, numerous maintenance, transportation and logistical units, personnel and liaison detachments and the Headquarters 42nd Infantry Division, which was in command of the multi national task force in Tikrit from February to November 2005. About 200 members of the NY Army National Guard are being called up for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in the May - June 2007 time frame. This includes the 104th and an aviation unit based in Rochester. Neither of these units have been previously mobilized for Iraq although a few members previously assigned to other units are now deploying for a second tour. The New York National Guard anticipates limited additional call ups for the remainder of the year. The New York Army National Guard has been operating in a “Re Set” period since last year during which it has stabilized the force statewide and is implementing Army Transformation plans for modernization while continuing to support the civil authorities with security support at train stations in Manhattan, airports in Queens and at the state’s four nuclear power sites, and remain ready to respond to other state emergencies as needed. For additional information, contact the DMNA public affairs office at (518) 786-4581.