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ROSEMOUNT, Minn. – Nearly 700 Soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard’s Rosemount-based 34th Red Bull Infantry Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion will deploy to West Africa in support of Operation United Assistance in the spring of 2015.
“Our Soldiers – your neighbors -- are prepared to deploy to support this humanitarian mission designed to stop the spread of the Ebola Virus and keep it from becoming a pandemic that could potentially impact Minnesota and the rest of the nation,” said Maj. Gen. Neal Loidolt, 34th Infantry Division commanding general, during a press conference Nov. 17 in Rosemount.
The Soldiers will support an ongoing humanitarian mission designed to stop the spread of the Ebola Virus and keep it from becoming a pandemic that could potentially impact U.S. citizens.
The 34th Infantry Division will operate a headquarters in Monrovia, Liberia, that will manage several activities including the establishment of staging bases; interfacing with foreign international relief efforts; improving the capacity of medical training bases; ensuring the engineering ability of USAID and enforcing health and protection measures to protect personnel, equipment, facilities and infrastructure.
“When there are thousands of ground forces performing a complex mission, there is a requirement for a headquarters unit to provide command, control and specialized staff expertise,” said Loidolt. “In the case of Operation United Assistance, that headquarters is an Army Division Headquarters, like the 34th Infantry Division, or the 101st Airborne Division, who we will be replacing.”
While in Africa, the Soldiers will not be providing direct medical care to Ebola patients. To prepare for this deployment, the unit will receive specialized training and equipment to minimize any risks. The Soldiers will also undergo an observation period at the end of their deployment to ensure that none have contracted the Ebola virus prior to returning to their families.
“We are going to work tirelessly to increase understanding and minimize unnecessary concerns,” said Loidolt. “Preserving the health of our Soldiers is the highest priority for this mission.”
The 34th Infantry Division headquarters was most recently deployed to Iraq in 2009. Of those deploying, 27 percent have had one previous mobilization, 18 percent have had two previous mobilizations and 5.5 percent have previously mobilized three or more times. The unit is expected to be deployed in Liberia for six months.
“While the nature of this mission in support of Operation United Assistance sets this deployment apart from previous missions, our family readiness groups and our local “Yellow Ribbon Networks” remain the continuity that will keep us strong,” said Loidolt.
The deploying Soldiers come from 295 communities throughout Minnesota and the nearly 300 Yellow Ribbon communities, companies and colleges across the state will be crucial in providing needed support and assistance to Soldiers and their families.
“I want to reassure families that we will have plans for action that are in place prior to, during, and after deployment in order to protect our service members, families and communities,” said Loidolt. “And one of the greatest assets available will be our communities themselves.”
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2014 17:19 |
| Story ID: | 148065 |
| Location: | ROSEMOUNT, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Red Bull headquarters prepares for deployment to West Africa, by MSG Blair Heusdens, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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