Guam’s Army Guard soldiers set to return

After six months of being deployed to the Southern Philippines in support of Operation Enduring Freedom–Philippines, approximately 30 soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, Guam Army National Guard, are scheduled to return home Nov. 18.

The soldiers stopped over at Andersen Air Force Base on Nov. 5, on their way to Hawaii, where they will demobilize. During the short stopover, the soldiers were greeted by members of the Guam Army and Air Guard, family members and friends at the Guam Air Guard’s 254th REDHORSE building on Andersen. Several leaders of the Guam Guard, including Lt. Gov. Mike Cruz, commander of the Medical Command, were present to greet them.

“Welcome back gentlemen!” said Lt. Col. Diron J. Cruz, the recently appointed Guam Army Guard Chief of Joint Staff. “Thank you for your outstanding services in protecting our island and our nation.”

“We look forward to seeing you when you return from demobilization,” said Cruz.

The Guam National Guard’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Donald J. Goldhorn, was not able to attend, because he is currently off-island and is scheduled to greet them in Hawaii. He did, however, visit them in the Philippines last month.

The Guam National Guard is a partner with the Republic of the Philippines in the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program.

The 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry also has another company, Team Alpha, currently deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terror. The unit, approximately 180 soldiers total, deployed to Afghanistan early February and is scheduled to demobilize in Hawaii in late November.

The GUARNG also currently has a 14-man Embedded Training Team deployed to Afghanistan to assist in the training of the Afghan National Army and Police. The team deployed to Afghanistan in February and is scheduled to demobilize at Fort Riley, Kansas in late November also.

There are 18 soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry Regiment, who are deployed with Hawaii’s 29th Brigade Combat Team (BCT) to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and are scheduled to demobilize sometime next August.

Additionally, the GUARNG has 14 soldiers augmenting the 33rd BCT from North Carolina for approximately 18 months. They are still participating in Mobilization Station training at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, before heading to Afghanistan this month. This team will be providing a variety of duties to include the Task Force Engineer commander, personnel support, logistics support, medical support and security forces.

Finally, there are six GUARNG soldiers currently deployed with the 39th BCT out of Arkansas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, who are scheduled to return this December.

Today, there are approximately 200 Guam Army Guard soldiers and 18 Air Guard Airmen deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom defending our freedom and serving our island and our nation abroad in Afghanistan and Iraq. [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]