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

FOR RELEASE: Friday, Jun 06, 2008

WHO:

Approx. 40 Soldiers from the New York Army National Guard’s 3-142nd Aviation prepare their aircraft and depart for deployment training for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WHAT:

Departure from the Latham Flight Facility. The facility will see the departure of ten UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

WHEN:

Five aircraft scheduled to depart at 10:30 a.m., SATURDAY, June 7.

WHERE:

Latham Flight Facility, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, N.Y.

LATHAM, NY -- Aircrews from the New York Army National Guard’s 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation depart from their Latham Flight Facility for Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The Soldiers and aircrews from the unit will train for deployment to Iraq later this summer. The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation is an Assault Helicopter Battalion equipped with UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. The battalion has units based at McArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and at Albany International Airport in Latham. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company and Company B are based at McArthur Airport while Company E is located in Patchogue. A detachment of Co. E, the maintenance element, along with Companies A and D are located in Latham. The 3-142nd is expected to train at Fort Sill for approximately two months, prior to deploying to Balad, Iraq for ten months of service there. The unit will conduct air transportation operations in support of Multi-National Corps Iraq, as part of the 34th Aviation Brigade, an element of the Minnesota Army National Guard. The New York-based unit will deploy with 20 Blackhawk helicopters and pick up ten more, and an additional company, from the Missouri Army National Guard. That state’s C Co. 1st Battalion 106th Aviation, will deploy as the C Co, for the 3rd Battalion 142nd. The 3rd-142nd began training for this mission last fall. The unit has spent two three-week training periods at Fort Drum, in New York’s North Country, preparing for the deployment, and has also been training at home station armories.