Oklahoma National Guard unit deploys
BY JERRY WOFFORD World Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
After completing training in Texas, an Oklahoma National Guard unit has deployed to Afghanistan to assist with medical evacuations.
Nearly 40 members of Detachment 1, Company
C, 2nd Battalion, 149th General Support
Aviation, based in Lexington, were sent off
Nov. 10 from Fort Hood, Texas, by several leaders
from the Oklahoma National Guard.
Leading the Oklahoma unit is Capt. John
Pollard, of Yukon, and the executive officer of
the unit is 1st Lt. Albert Cole, of Wister.
The unit will fly helicopters in medical
evacuation situations in southeast Afghanistan.
They left Oklahoma in September and
spent the last several weeks integrating with
a unit in Texas, which leaders said helped to
make a stronger, more cohesive team.
“We have integrated well with the members
of the Texas Guard,” Sgt. 1st Class Chad Beals
said.
The deployment is set to last nine months.
This adds to the number of Oklahoma units
currently serving in Afghanistan. About 200
soldiers with the 120th Engineer Battalion are
currently in Afghanistan conducting route
clearance operations in the southern part of
the country. Other groups are also preparing
to leave the country for Afghanistan, including
the 1245th Transportation Company, based in
McAlester.
About 3,000 soldiers with the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team returned from a deployment
to Kuwait and Afghanistan in the spring.
