Guam National Guard to deploy teams to Afghanistan

Two teams of soldiers from the Guam Army National Guard are expected to mobilize and be deployed to Afghanistan this summer in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

One of the teams deploying is the 1990th Contingency Contracting Team, a four-person team, which will be providing contracting assistance to the Joint Support Theater Contracting Command.

Another team of Guam soldiers will be one of 20 teams deploying to serve as Security Force Advise and Assist Teams in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, according to Maj. Gen. Benny M. Paulino, Adjutant General of the Guam National Guard.

“The 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team received notice last year to prepare for possible mobilization. The bulk of the brigade is from the Hawaii Army Guard, but also includes infantry battalions from Guam and Arizona. That notice was rescinded and battalions belonging to Hawaii and Arizona were taken off the mobilization list,” said Paulino.

The two Guam Guard units, the 1-294th Infantry Regiment and the F Company, 29th Support Battalion, are both organic units under the 29th IBCT. Although the brigade’s initial mission was rescinded, the Guam units’ mission remained intact and they were not taken off their mobilization status.

“Since then, the 29th IBCT has been re-missioned and they are now expected to mobilize 20 teams, which includes a team from [the Guam National Guard], to conduct this new security force advisory task. We anticipate receiving an alert order for the SFAATs within the next few weeks.”

The Guam SFAAT will be composed of 12 Guam Guard soldiers.

Both the 1990th CCT and the SFAAT teams are expected to leave for their assigned mobilization station sometime in July, where they will be conducting combat training.

Mobilization of the 1-294th IN RGT is still on track, according to LTC George Charfauros, Guam National Guard deputy chief of staff for Operations and Plans, although the number of personnel to mobilize had changed. Late last year, Guard received word that the battalion’s required numbers were going to be reduced to about two-thirds of the approximately 850 soldiers who were originally slated to be mobilized.

The 1-294th IN RGT is composed of soldiers from Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

The addition of the 1990th CCT and SFAAT teams brings the total number of Guard soldiers to be mobilized, in support of OEF by early next year, to approximately 600 soldiers from Guam and the CNMI.

The anticipated activation of the 1-294th IN RGT can be considered as the largest group of reserve component troops to be mobilized and deployed from Guam.[I] (PR)[/I]