Photo By Staff Sgt. Jonathan Shaw | North Carolina Army National Guard Capt. Joshua Meekins, commander of the 130th...... read more read more
The North Carolina Army National Guard held a deactivation ceremony for the 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade’s 1132nd Military Police Company August 6, 2017 at the NCARNG armory in Rocky Mount, N.C.
The deactivation is part of a nationwide U.S. Army and National Guard force reduction and reorganization plan.
"The 1132nd's deactivation will not end our commitment to serving the state in times of need and disaster," said Brig. Gen. Allen Boyette, the NCNG Assistant Adjutant General for Sustainment.
The event was anything but a sad affair. Had it not been for the 20-minute-long ceremony, a passerby might have thought that the 1132nd was hosting an MP reunion. Although the guest list included a number of civilian and military officials, the number of friends, family, and former 1132nd members nearly outnumbered the uniformed personnel in attendance.
For nearly an hour before and after the ceremony, past and present MPs could be seen meeting old friends, laughing together, and swapping stories.
“I keep in touch with a lot of the guys...this brings back a lot of memories,” said retired Sgt. 1st Class Fred Brown, a former retention noncommissioned officer and recruiter for the 1132nd. Brown’s son and Capt. Joshua Meekins, the 1132nd’s current commander were cadets together in the Eastern Carolina University Army Reserve Officer Training Corps. “This closes a chapter for all of us,” reflected Brown.
While the unit was only activated in 2002, they’ve left behind a legacy any NG soldier could be proud of. December 12, 2007 the company deployed to Iraq for nine months to assist the Iraqi Police Service with training and oversight of police operations in southeast Baghdad where they suffered five casualties and more than a dozen injuries.
“I’m proud of what we did over there,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Shaffer, the 1132nd’s readiness NCO and one of the founding members of the unit. “I think we made a big difference while we were there.”
During the unit’s 15-year life it’s assisted state and local law enforcement agencies on numerous occasions including four hurricanes. In 2016 they were activated to assist in the Charlotte riots and again just ten days later during Hurricane Matthew.
Of the almost 150 soldiers in the 1132nd, nearly all have already been reassigned to other NCARNG MP units, decided to reclassify to other job specialties in the Guard, or transfer to active duty or the reserves, or retire.
The 1132nd maintained three armories in Mount Olive, Tarboro, and Rocky Mount. All three will close within the next 6-9 months and be transferred to the State Property Office for final divestiture.
“I love my unit, “ boasted Shaffer. “When it’s all said and done it’s something to be proud of.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2017 13:07 |
| Story ID: | 244046 |
| Location: | ROCKY MOUNT, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 1,354 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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