Soldiers from 14 counties in new deployment

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The latest mobilization orders for the Maine Army National Guard, calling for 86 more members to prepare for deployment to Iraq, is drawing soldiers from all over the state, officials said this week.

Thirty-nine of the 86 Security Force 2 unit’s soldiers reside in either Aroostook County or Kennebec County. Fourteen of the state’s 16 counties are represented by the new unit, excluding Piscataquis and Knox.

The C Company of the 133rd Engineer Battalion out of Norway sent the largest number of soldiers, 10, to the new security unit, while the 1st Battalion of the 152nd Field Artillery Regiment from Calais sent eight soldiers.

“A majority of the folks [in this unit] are within a 50-mile radius of Augusta,” Maj. Michael Backus, director of public affairs for the Maine National Guard, said Monday.

The unit will be on active duty for 18 months and will serve overseas for a year in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

While in Iraq the unit’s main focus will be on security force operations, from base and route security to convoy escorts.

Initially, 100 soldiers went through the selection process to fill the 86 slots, undergoing personnel and medical screening to find those who best fit the Army’s needs. Among the ideal soldiers for the security force unit and this specific mission are those who possess individual weapon skills, riflemen skills, or have experience as military police, according to Backus.

“Every unit faces high risk, some a little higher than others. On security detail it depends on the specific facility the troops are assigned, and they won’t get those assignments until they’re in country [Iraq],” Backus said.

The unit, composed of various units statewide, will spend a few days collectively in a central location in Maine, probably Fort Keyes in Augusta, working on basic training. By mid-April the unit will head to Camp Shelby, Miss., where it will meet up with two platoons from Nevada and Wisconsin for additional training and preparation.

“Within the next few months after the training is complete and when the Army says the unit is ready, then they are scheduled for Iraq. When exactly they will go depends on training. They will proceed earlier if something happens over there, but if they have extra time to prepare, then the Army tries to give them that time,” Backus said.

The Maine National Guard, which includes the Army and Air National Guard components, already accounts for nearly 800 soldiers and airmen and women on active duty. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, more than 2,600 troops from Maine have supported the global war on terror.

“We don’t know if we’re replacing an existing unit or providing additional support,” Backus said a week ago, but either way, “none of Maine’s current units are expected to return home.”

Maine’s effort in the war against terrorism remains strong, Backus said Tuesday, praising Maine soldiers for their commitment.

“Maine is continuing to excel and support the state and federal mission since Sept. 11,” Backus said.

Mobilization by the numbers

Breakdown by county of soldiers being deployed by the Maine Army National Guard for service in Iraq:

Androscoggin: 8

Aroostook: 20

Cumberland: 3

Franklin: 1

Hancock: 1

Kennebec: 19

Lincoln: 2

Oxford: 4

Penobscot: 7

Sagadahoc: 3

Somerset: 3

Waldo: 2

Washington: 9

York: 4