Maine National Guard on alert for active duty

FORT KENT – Members of the Maine Army National Guard 152nd Artillery received an alert order last week telling them they could be called for service in Iraq.

Officials of the Maine Army National Guard at Augusta did not know the number of soldiers involved, but Maj. Peter Rogers, Maine’s National Guard public information officer, said the 152nd involves 400 soldiers in six locations.

Local Guard officers would not comment on the reports. Inquiries were routed to Rogers’ office.

According to Rogers on Monday, the alert, received Wednesday, Oct. 29, had few specifics.

“This is only an alert and not a mobilization order,” he said. He characterized an alert order as the announcement of a “potential for mobilization.”

He said a mobilization order would shift the service people to active duty immediately.

Reports were heard in the St. John Valley and Caribou areas Monday about the call-up of soldiers from northern Maine. The reports said that 126 soldiers were being called to serve as military police officers.

“This is a heads-up that it could happen,” Rogers said. “Others have received these before and never been called for active duty.”

The 152nd field artillery battery of the 1st Battalion has members in armories located at Fort Kent, Caribou, Presque Isle, Houlton, Calais and Waterville, according to Rogers.

He said it could be months before a mobilization order comes, if it comes at all.

Rogers also was uncertain as to the kind of service the soldiers would be performing. That is not noted in an alert order, he said.