Arkansas National Guard members deployed for Southwest Asia mission
Area Arkansas National Guardsmen to be deployed for a 1-year mission to Southwest Asia.
Approximately, 450 members of the Arkansas National Guard will begin a one-year mission in Southwest Asia after leaving their respective armories this weekend. The Guardsmen will report to Fort Bliss in Texas for mobilization training and then be stationed in Southwest Asia for roughly nine-months as part of Operation Spartan Shield, under a joint mission of the U.S. Central Command.
The deploying soldiers are from A Company in Walnut Ridge and Harrison, B Company from Batesville and Augusta, C Company from West Memphis, Headquarters and Headquarters Company from Searcy, along with a platoon from the Missouri National Guard.
The affected companies are part of supporting units of the 2-153 Infantry Battalion, 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
According to a press release, Operation Spartan Shield’s mission is to build “partner capacity in the Middle East to promote regional self-reliance and increase security among partner nations.”
Guardsmen will serve as security forces, providing convoy and base security for U.S. Military units and allies, during their nine-month tour.
Major General Jon Stubbs is Arkansas’ adjutant general and he stated the mission was the easy part. He said leaving behind their loved ones and employer’s is the most challenging part.
Families are encouraged to reach out to the Arkansas National Guard if anything comes up because the Guard is a family and they will provide support and guidance to ensure families are taken care of so that’s one less thing deploying soldiers have to worry about.
