Officials look for new missions for 9,000 soldiers

Nondeployment brings uncertainty to Guard units
Officials look for new missions for 9,000 soldiers
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 20, 2011 12:10:06 EST
Two brigades of the National Guard are in limbo after their planned deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan were canceled, and hundreds of soldiers from a third Guard brigade were told nearly two months after they mobilized they weren’t needed on their unit’s tour in Afghanistan.

With the ongoing withdrawal from Iraq and drawdown in Afghanistan, military leaders at home and in theater have had to balance ever-changing requirements with fluctuating conditions on the ground. As a result, more than 9,000 Guard soldiers since Oct. 1 have been affected by new missions, delayed deployments, or shortened tours.

Maryland’s 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, which was supposed to go to Iraq, and New York’s 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which was slated for Afghanistan, remain in limbo as military planners determine how to best use the already trained and ready soldiers.

When commanders in Afghanistan decided they didn’t need all 3,500 soldiers from the National Guard’s 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, the soldiers were already training at Camp Shelby, Miss.

On Nov. 30, officials announced that 2,500 soldiers from the 37th IBCT, which began mobilizing in early October, would deploy to Afghanistan as planned. About 700 soldiers would deploy to Bahrain and 200 others volunteered to be released from active duty.

“This happened very close to their mobilization date, so instead of the Army saying, ‘Thanks for your service, you’re not needed,’ we worked to find viable mission opportunities to put every soldier to use,” said Col. Ted Hildreth, chief of mobilization and readiness for the Army National Guard.
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