CONTACT: Eric Durr, 518-786-4581, eric.durr@us.army.mil

FOR RELEASE: Monday, Apr 09, 2012

ON SITE: Eric Durr, 518-786-4581, eric.durr@us.army.mil

CAMP SHELBY, MISS (04/09/2012)(readMedia)-- More than 650 New York Army National Guard Soldiers completed post-mobilization training here and departed for nine-month deployments in Kuwait and Afghanistan over the Easter weekend. Two-hundred and fifty (250) Soldiers came from the Headquarters Company of the 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion which is headquartered in Buffalo and has elements in Syracuse. Another 130 Soldiers are assigned to Company A of the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment, which is headquartered at the New York State Armory in Geneseo. Twenty (20) Soldiers from the Headquarters of the 27th Brigade Combat Team in Syracuse, and organized as a Military Advisory Team of high ranking officers and non-commissioned officers, also departed for duty in Kuwait. The Soldiers will be responsible for providing security and administrative support to United States military facilities in Kuwait. The 250 Soldiers assigned to the Headquarters Company and Company B of the 427th Brigade Support Battalion departed for a mission in Afghanistan. The units, which are based in Syracuse on Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, has been tasked to help close down American military facilities in Afghanistan. More than 1,700 New York Army National Guard Soldiers from the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team mobilized for Active Duty in January and reported to Camp Shelby for post-mobilization training. The bulk of those Soldiers will deploy to Kuwait but a task force built around the rest of the 2nd Battalion 108th Infantry Regiment, headquartered in Utica but with other elements headquartered in Ithaca, Gloversville, Ogdensburg, Saranaca Lake, Morrisonville, and the Camp Smith Training Site in Cortlandt Manor, will deploy to provide security at bases in Afghanistan. Those Soldiers are still training. The Adjutant General of New York, Major General Patrick Murphy, visited New York Army National Guard Soldiers at Camp Shelby before they deployed last week. New York National Guard Command Sgt. Major Frank Wicks, also saw off the New York Soldiers as they deployed. Posted Monday April 09, 2012 at 12:07 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs