Rochester National Guard Soldiers Return Home from Overseas Deployment

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Approximately 125 Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard's 222nd Military Police Company, based here in Rochester, return home from demobilization on Saturday, Dec. 21, following the unit's deployment to Qatar for the past year.

WHAT: Homecoming reunion for New York Army National Guard Soldiers following their deployment to Qatar.

WHO: Approximately 100 Soldiers from the 222nd Military Police Company, along with family and friends. The remaining troops will be transported from Rochester back to home armories across Upstate New York.

WHEN: Saturday, December 21 at approx. 1 p.m.

WHERE: New York State Armory, Patriot Way, Rochester, N.Y.

Media Opportunity:

Imagery of the family reunions as Soldiers return home from a ten-month absence.

Media representatives must contact Staff Sgt. Jonathan Cregg at 315-730-5608 for access to the facility and/or updates to the unit arrival time.

Background:

Soldiers of the 222nd Military Police Company return home following demobilization training at Camp Shelby, Miss. The unit arrived back in the United States on December 14 following the successful completion of a security force mission for U.S. facilities in Qatar.

This mission marks the second such deployment of the military police unit.

The 222nd Military Police Company organized in 2005 as part of the 102nd Military Police Battalion. After standing up, the unit served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006-07. While in theater, the company performed over 1,600 combat patrols in Baghdad, Iraq.

Since that combat tour, the 222nd MP Company went on to distinguish itself with support for other deploying military police units, including individual volunteers for missions to Iraq, Afghanistan or Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The company also saw extensive civil support mission support here in New York. Hurricane Irene took the company in 2011 from Hornell to Long Island, eventually ending up in Margaretville, New York. The Soldiers assisted the local community by helping the people clean up after their homes were ravished by the floods. Over 1,000 miles of roads were travelled, and hours of patrols were conducted to ensure the safety and welfare for those who were affected by the storm.