Courtesy Photo | Gov. John Hoeven, center, shakes Capt. Walyn Vannurden's hand after presenting three...... read more read more
GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Hundreds of people filled the Grand Forks Armory Complex this afternoon to show their support for three groups of North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers about to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. The Soldiers hail from the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, which is headquartered in Grand Forks with units in Fargo and Bismarck.
"Today we have the most amazing Soldiers from North Dakota serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti, Kosovo and beyond, and they're doing an absolutely incredible job, and you will, too," North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven told the deploying Soldiers. He then presented three North Dakota flags to those leading the deployments.
It's a first-of-its-kind mission for the North Dakota National Guard; two of the deploying groups will be operating the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel Radar for the first time in a combat zone. The Sentinel can alert short-range air-defense weapons to sites of hostile targets. Eight Soldiers in one Sentinel Radar group will deploy to Iraq under the leadership of Sgt. 1st Class Michael Kraft, of Devils Lake, N.D.
The other Sentinel group of 25 Soldiers will deploy to Afghanistan, where they will serve with another 40 North Dakota Soldiers in the RAID IV group. Capt. Walyn S. Vannurden, of Cavalier, N.D., will command both Afghanistan-bound groups. RAID — or Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment — is a tower system that incorporates sensor technology to protect forward operating bases. It will be the fourth time North Dakota's 1-188th has performed the RAID mission in Afghanistan, and this group will replace North Dakota's RAID III, which deployed in January 2009 and is expected home in January 2010.
All three groups honored today will travel to Fort Hood, Texas, in early December for additional mobilization training before going overseas. The entire deployment, including stateside training, is expected to last one year.
"I could not be prouder of our ADA Soldiers, who have proved themselves time and again in the global war on terrorism," said Maj. Gen. David A. Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general. "Their keen ability and knowledge with air-defense systems has provided protection to numerous bases in Afghanistan since the RAID mission began four years ago."
The three groups honored today will be the sixth, seventh and eighth deployments from the 1-188th.
The unit's global war on terrorism missions include:
1. Battery F — June 2004 to November 2005, Iraq, 100 Soldiers
2. RAID I (previously referred to as JLENS) — November 2005 to February 2007,
Afghanistan, 39 Soldiers
3. Security Forces — December 2005 to April 2007, Afghanistan, 152 Soldiers
4. RAID II — November 2006 to January 2008, Afghanistan, 39 Soldiers
5. RAID III — mobilized January 2009 with an expected return date of January 2010,
Afghanistan, 43 Soldiers.
6. RAID IV — mobilizing December 2009 for an expected 12-month deployment,
Afghanistan, 39 Soldiers
7. Sentinel Radar-Operation Enduring Freedom — mobilizing December 2009 for an
expected 12-month deployment, Afghanistan, 25 Soldiers
8. Sentinel Radar-Operation Iraqi Freedom — mobilizing December 2009 for an expected
12-month deployment, Iraq, 8 Soldiers
Nearly half — 30 to be precise — of the Soldiers deploying will be serving on their first overseas
tour. They were encouraged to seek out the experience of those who have previously deployed,
including two Soldiers beginning their third deployment and two who served in the first Gulf War.
"I'm honored to be your commander. ... You've done a great job through this pre-deployment
training. You've exceeded my expectations," Vannurden said in addressing his Soldiers during
today's ceremony.
U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Gregory P. Brockberg, of Moorhead, Minn., the senior enlisted Soldier deploying to Afghanistan, followed those remarks.
The North Dakota Straight Arrow "patch shows everyone in Afghanistan and Iraq that we can do the job," he said.
Other speakers who addressed the Soldiers — as well as their families, friends, employers and supporters — today were Sen. Kent Conrad; Congressman Earl Pomeroy; Karen Engelter, a representative of Sen. Byron Dorgan; Hal Gershman, Grand Forks City Council president; Brig. Gen. William Seekins, North Dakota National Guard land component commander; and State Command Sgt. Maj. Gerald Miller.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2009 18:15 |
| Story ID: | 41890 |
| Location: | GRAND FORKS, US |
| Web Views: | 427 |
| Downloads: | 382 |
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