Connecticut Guard Arrives in Baghdad
Baghdad, Iraq - Eighty-four members of the Connecticut Army National Guard's 143rd Area Support Group deployed here this week to begin a one year rotation working in the Joint Area Support Group (JASG) in support of the US State Department Mission in Iraq.
The JASG provides administrative and logistics support to the US Mission-Iraq as well as over 20,000 tenants working within the International Zone and oversees security operations for the International Zone.
This mission will be a unique one for the Guard since this is the first time they will not be working as a self contained unit.
"We would typically go to a forward operating base, and then set up and run all support operations for that base," said Colonel Thomas Stefanko, 143rd Area Support Group Commander. "Here we are doing what we normally do but we are working within the framework of a much larger organization including other branches of the military and civilian contractors."
They will be working in all areas of support operations including legal, personnel management, providing construction and infrastructure management and computer support among other operations.
Members of the Guard have known about the mission since July and have spent the last month preparing for the deployment at Ft. Drum, NY.
"All units in the Army are required to meet the same standards of training," said Colonel Stefanko. "Our training and preparations to deploy at Ft Drum demonstrated that we are up to this task."
Most were excited about the opportunity to be in Iraq for the historic period that will cover the elections.
"We are very fortunate to be here right now," said First Lt. Ryan K. Miller. "This is the dawn of a new era for the Iraqi people and for the Middle East. Democracy is
being forged here before us; we are very fortunate to be assisting in and witness to this historic development."
About 25 percent of the Soldiers deployed with the 143rd are full time members of the Connecticut Guard. The other 75 percent are part time. The 143rd will now compose over half of the military members assigned to the JASG.
Units assigned to the 143rd can trace their lineage back to 1636 making them the 4th oldest organized militia in the country. In their more recent past they have deployed to other locations in the Middle East, as well as Bosnia.
Release #041103j
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