FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa.- Maj. Gen. Wesley Craig, Pennsylvania adjutant general, Pennsylvania Guard leadership, friends and family gathered here Monday for a send-off ceremony for nine Soldiers assigned to the 28th Infantry Division, 28th Combat Aviation Brigade, 224th Aviation Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company B, Detachment 1.
The Soldiers are scheduled to depart this week for a six-month mission in Texas supporting the Southwest border mission as part of a larger Army National Guard mission called Operation Phalanx. The Army National Guard established Operation Phalanx in July 2010, based on an Executive Order from President Barack Obama authorizing up to 1,200 Soldiers and Airmen along the 1,933-mile southwest border in support of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and Department of Homeland Security.
The detachment is a unique security and support detachment used primarily for domestic operations. The Soldiers going on the mission are a team of pilots, crew chiefs and mechanics and are joined by two LUH-72 Lakotas from the Pennsylvania Guard unit.
This is one Soldier's first deployment of any kind since enlisting in the Pennsylvania National Guard. "I'm excited about the mission and experience, but leaving my family will be tough," said the man, whose name is being withheld for security reasons.
The commander of the unit, and a LUH-72 Lakota pilot, shared in the Soldier's sentiments. "This is my third deployment, but my first domestic operation," said Capt. Jonathan Regets. "I'm looking forward to the mission of securing the border for the U.S. and using the capability of the Army's newest aircraft to its full potential."
In March of 2012, Operation Phalanx shifted from an effort involving National Guard Soldiers on the ground at fixed locations to aerial patrols along the border, with some National Guard security and intelligence analysts assisting federal law enforcement. The newest aircraft in the Army excels at reconnaissance missions, Regets said.
"The LUH-72 is well-suited for this type of operation," said Regets. "It is an excellent observation platform with electro-optical sensors and forward-looking infrared cameras."
The Pennsylvania National Guard received the LUH-72 Lakotas 11 months ago and this will be the Pennsylvania's first deployment with the new airframe. About120 Guard members from 11 states are supporting Operation Phalanx.