While Fort Stewart is gearing up to train an Indiana National Guard Brigade for service in Iraq next year, the 48th Brigade of the Georgia National Guard is among five Guard brigades alerted Monday for deployment in 2009.
These brigades alerted this week will replace units that have not yet deployed. The units are being identified well in advance to give maximum time possible for mission-specific training, the Pentagon said.
“It’s a tribute to the military planners who are trying to provide — particularly for our National Guard brigades — the type of timely notification so they can be prepared for the specific missions, but also to give the predictability for their families and employers,” a DoD spokesman said.
The Guard soldiers will be mobilized for 12 months. The Defense Department alerted the 53rd and 48th brigade combat teams, roughly 7,000 soldiers, to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan The 48th will train Afghan national security forces. The 53rd Brigade of the Florida Guard will assume battlespace in Afghanistan and conduct a full spectrum of operations.
The 32nd BCT from the Wisconsin Guard, the 41st BCT of the Oregon Guard and the 155th BCT from the Mississippi Guard have been alerted for deployment to Iraq in summer 2009. The roughly 8,000 soldiers will take over the security force mission and will ensure freedom of movement and continuity of operations within the country.
The units will be responsible for base defense and route security within Kuwait and Iraq.
The 48th Brigade was last deployed in 2005 when it was sent to Iraq for a year. Before that, elements of the 48th had participated in peacekeeping in Bosnia in 2001.
These brigades alerted this week will replace units that have not yet deployed. The units are being identified well in advance to give maximum time possible for mission-specific training, the Pentagon said.
“It’s a tribute to the military planners who are trying to provide — particularly for our National Guard brigades — the type of timely notification so they can be prepared for the specific missions, but also to give the predictability for their families and employers,” a DoD spokesman said.
The Guard soldiers will be mobilized for 12 months. The Defense Department alerted the 53rd and 48th brigade combat teams, roughly 7,000 soldiers, to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan The 48th will train Afghan national security forces. The 53rd Brigade of the Florida Guard will assume battlespace in Afghanistan and conduct a full spectrum of operations.
The 32nd BCT from the Wisconsin Guard, the 41st BCT of the Oregon Guard and the 155th BCT from the Mississippi Guard have been alerted for deployment to Iraq in summer 2009. The roughly 8,000 soldiers will take over the security force mission and will ensure freedom of movement and continuity of operations within the country.
The units will be responsible for base defense and route security within Kuwait and Iraq.
The 48th Brigade was last deployed in 2005 when it was sent to Iraq for a year. Before that, elements of the 48th had participated in peacekeeping in Bosnia in 2001.