Saturday, September 30, 2017

Local Army National Guard platoon to deploy to Middle East

SALEM, Ore. — A local Army National Guard platoon will soon be on its way to the Middle East.

Twenty local citizen soldiers had a formal sendoff in Salem on Friday.

The members are from G Company, 1st Battalion, 189th Aviation Regiment, which is a Black Hawk Medevac support unit.

They will operate air ambulances, conduct search-and-rescue operations, and fight wildfires, among other duties.

The soldiers have already used similar skills responding to disasters here.

"This unit has already been actively serving our state with multiple mountain rescues, including rescuing hikers that were caught between the Eagle Creek and Indian Fire," said State Treasurer Tobias Read.

The National Guard soldiers will join their parent unit from South Dakota and will be deployed overseas for about a year.
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