BISMARCK, N.D. - A group of North Dakota National Guard Soldiers who have been serving in Afghanistan since January are arriving in North Dakota today, nearly three months earlier than their expected return date. The returning Soldiers make up just under a quarter of the 40-member, Bismarck-based 814th Medical Company (Area Support).
The Soldiers, who arrived in Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 8, to conduct their demobilization process, will return to North Dakota on separate flights. One Soldier will arrive at the Bismarck Municipal Airport on flight DL4788 at 6:52 p.m. and three Soldiers will arrive at the Hector International Airport in Fargo on flight AA2959 at 10:35 p.m. Another Soldier from the group will fly to Piedmont, South Carolina, where she resides, upon completion of her demobilization process. The public is invited to show their support for the Soldiers at their arrival locations.
Another quarter of the unit will return to the U.S. at the end of August and the remainder of the Soldiers will return at the end of October. The unit's early return is a result of the recent drawdown of American forces from Afghanistan.
This deployment served as the unit's first in the Global War on Terrorism, although about a dozen of the Soldiers have previously deployed.
WHO: Soldiers with the 814th Medical Company (Area Support)
WHAT: Arriving in North Dakota
WHEN/WHERE: 6:52 p.m. (Bismarck) and 10:35 p.m. (Fargo) Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014.
MEDIA: No pre-coordination necessary.
Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 4,000 Soldiers and more than 2,400 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. About 70 percent of all members serving today have joined since that time. Currently, more than 80 North Dakota Guardsmen are mobilized for overseas service and more than 200 are on duty in Washington, District of Columbia, and in Texas. With a total force of about 4,400 Guardsmen, the North Dakota National Guard remains ready for stateside response and national defense. For every 10,000 citizens in North Dakota, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate that's more than four times the national average.