FORT DRUM, N.Y. - Thirty-five New York Army National Guard Soldiers marked the beginning of their deployment to Eastern Europe following weeks of training and fulfilling readiness requirements.
The Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (LI) Main Command Post-Operational Detachment (MCP-OD), based at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, flew to Romania and Poland June 10. They joined their active-duty counterparts of the 10th Mtn. Div. headquarters, already in Europe, to expand capabilities and enhance the division’s mission as part of NATO’s commitment to security and stability in the region.
“I’m absolutely proud of everyone in the MCP-OD,” said Lt. Col. Alvin D. Phillips, MCP-OD’s commander. “That includes the support staff, as well as the Soldiers who answered the call to serve and preserve what I feel is a real-world mission.”
Most of the deploying Soldiers volunteered for the mission, including multiple Soldiers from other units across the state, as the 10th Mtn. Div. had specific requirements for which military occupational specialties they required.
The mobilization occurred on an accelerated timeline, according to Capt. Darren Hagen, the detachment’s executive officer. Soldiers had limited time to meet deployment requirements, including weapons qualifications, medical and physical fitness tests.
“The MCP-OD is trained, they’re equipped and they’re well-integrated within the 10th Mtn. Div. headquarters,” Phillips said. “This is what they’ve trained for. They understand their mission, they understand their capabilities, and they’re prepared to go.”
Brig. Gen. Joseph Biehler, the commanding general of the NYARNG’s 53rd Troop Command, and Command Sgt. Maj. David Piwowarski, the NYARNG senior enlisted leader, bid farewell to the MCP-OD Soldiers during an informal gathering.
“I wish you all the best,” Biehler said. “You’re going to come back with a lot of great experience (working with a division headquarters). Take that experience, come back, feel good about yourself, be confident, and look to the horizon.”
The detachment will serve approximately six months in Europe as part of the U.S. commitment to provide a robust deterrent and defensive posture alongside allies across the continent.
The detachment last deployed to Iraq with the 10th Mtn. Div. headquarters in 2018 for a 10-month deployment.