CONTACT: Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg, (518) 786-4581

FOR RELEASE: Saturday, Jan 06, 2007

ON SITE: Capt. Janet Erazo at (917) 734-4313 or (718) 746-7888x10

WHO:

About 40 National Guard Soldiers from New York City and the Hudson Valley plus family members, friends and military and civilian officials.

WHAT:

Freedom Salute Awards Ceremony for members of the 727th Military Police Detachment and the 4th Personnel Services Detachment, N.Y. Army National Guard

WHEN:

10:30 a.m. Sunday, January 6, 2008

WHERE:

The Marriott Renaissance of Westchester, 80 W. Red Oak Lane White Plains, N.Y. 10604

BACKGROUND:

WHO:

About 40 National Guard Soldiers from New York City and the Hudson Valley plus family members, friends and military and civilian officials.

WHAT:

Freedom Salute Awards Ceremony for members of the 727th Military Police Detachment and the 4th Personnel Services Detachment, N.Y. Army National Guard

WHEN:

10:30 a.m. Sunday, January 6, 2008

WHERE:

The Marriott Renaissance of Westchester, 80 W. Red Oak Lane White Plains, N.Y. 10604

BACKGROUND:

In December 2003, National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C., launched the Freedom Salute Campaign nationwide as a way to recognize members of the Army National Guard for service during Operations Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom and thank their spouses, children, and employers for the support they have shown to their Soldier. The Freedom Salute Campaign is one of the largest Army National Guard recognition endeavors in history. Each eligible Soldier will receive an encased American flag, a lapel insignia, a commemorative coin and certificate of appreciation from the Army National Guard. The Soldier’s spouse/significant other will receive a lapel insignia while Soldiers who are considered a center of influence with young people will be given a Future Soldier Footlocker Kit that includes the Daring Eagle board game, Mission Command card game, and Army National Guard trading cards. Background on the 727th Military Police Detachment The 727th Military Police Detachment arrived back at home station in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on August 31, 2007 after serving 15 months on active duty and one year “boots on the ground” in Iraq. The unit mobilized in June of 2006 to Ft. Dix, NJ where the military police Soldiers spent three months training to collectively perform their law and order mission. In September of 2006 the unit deployed to the Central Command area of operations, conducting a two-week theater immersion training and equipment staging in Kuwait. The Soldiers arrived later that month at the Victory Base Complex, Baghdad. Victory Base is the largest U.S. base in Iraq and home to two combat divisions as well as the headquarters for both the Multi-National Corps and Multi-National Force commanders and staffs. The 727th operated the Military Police station / Provost Marshal’s Office on the forward operating base and provided Soldiers to support other Multi-National Corps Missions. Some of these other missions included four Soldiers tasked to support the MNC-I Commander’s personnel security detachment, the Corps Customs Manager and one Senior Military Police Investigator to the Corps Forensic Lab, better known as “CSI Baghdad.” The unit supervised and executed law and order road patrols and force protection missions to the base of more the 50,000 coalition personnel. During their tour of duty the 727th Military Police Detachment completed more than 1,100 Military Police criminal investigations, issued more the 3,500 traffic violations for vehicle operators on the base and made arrests under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for a wide variety of Soldier transgressions. The 727th also had the honor of handling the Personal Security of Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the Commander of Multi-National Corps, Iraq. Four of the detachment Soldiers were given this detail and handled it with great distinction and honor. Currently, one Soldiers remains on the detail, from the personal request of Lt. Gen. Odierno. The unit conducted dozens of force protection inspections of civilian contactor camps where contraband items, including weapons and drugs, were seized. The Detachment Commander, Capt. Robert Lange, received numerous accolades from the organization’s higher headquarters, the 89th MP Brigade from Fort Hood, Texas for its superb mission performance. Background on the 4th Personnel Services Detachment The 4th Personnel Services Detachment (PSD) returned home to their armory in Whitestone, N.Y. on September 13, 2007 after a 14 month federal call up for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit is comprised of administration specialists and support staff. Its mission provided vital administrative duties such as processing Soldiers into and out of the combat theater during unit rotations or individual Soldier leave, both R&R and emergency leave. Soldiers of the 4th PSD provided the first smiling faces seen for Soldiers upon entry to theater of operations in Kuwait and the last station before processing their return trip back to the states. Detachment Soldiers are also prepared to support Soldiers with the mission tasks of the unit, including Soldier readiness processing (SRP), identification documents, personnel evaluations, promotions and other Soldier actions. For more information contact the Public Affairs Office at the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs at (518) 786-4581. Visit our web site for current photos and stories of the New York National Guard at http://dmna.ny.gov.