New York Army National Guard Military Police Soldiers depart for GITMO deployment on Sunday, Jan. 3

CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, CORTLANDT MANOR, N.Y. (01/01/2016)(readMedia)-- Over 120 members of the New York Army National Guard's 442nd Military Police Company will hold a deployment ceremony here prior to departing for for predeployment training at Fort Hood, Texas, on Sunday, Jan. 3.

The unit, based in Jamaica, Queens, is scheduled to deploy to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba for security operations there in early 2016.

WHO: More than 400 Soldiers, Family Members and Friends of the 442 Military Police Company

WHAT: 442nd Military Police Company Farewell Ceremony.

WHEN: Sunday, January 3, 2016 at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Building 502, Baker Hall (Gymnasium) Camp Smith, NY

Media Opportunity:

Interviews with Soldiers and families preparing for the deployment of the 442nd Military Police Company.

For access to this secure military facility, contact Master Sgt. Barry Brill, unit operations sergeant, (845) 492-0830.

442nd Military Police Company

The 442nd Military Police Company is comprised of about 170 men and women and is based in Jamaica, Queens. The unit served at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and went on to serve two combat deployments to Iraq, first in 2003-04 and again in 2010-11 where the company earned a Presidential Unit Citation in 2004 for its work to help re-establish a training academy for Iraqi police.

Approximately a third of the unit's members are civilian law enforcement professionals from across the New York City region.

Military Police Companies are trained to conduct a variety of functions ranging from law enforcement, to detention operations to security missions.

The 442nd Military Police Company is the 5th element of the New York Army National Guard to deploy troops to Guantanamo Bay in support of the detention mission there.

A 56-member detachment from the 42nd Infantry Division in Troy is currently serving at Guantanamo Bay and is expected home later this month.

About 50 Soldiers of the 102nd Military Police Battalion from Auburn, New York, served at Guantanamo in 2014 and 2015.

The 138th Public Affairs Detachment deployed to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base from August 2012 to July 2013. These eight Soldiers produced the Joint Task Force Guantanamo publication "The Wire" and assisted the task force public affairs officer.

In June 2011, the 107th Military Police Company from Utica mobilized 170 Soldiers who served at Guantanamo Bay for 10 months. The Soldiers provided the outer ring of security around the prisoner detention facility.

New York Army National Guard Brig. Gen. James Lettko, since retired, served as deputy commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo in 2011-2012.