Montana

Montana soldiers deploy to Afghanistan, emotional departure

Posted: Apr 30, 2012 12:35 PM by Brittany Wooley- KTVQ News
Updated: Apr 30, 2012 1:03 PM

BILLINGS- Approximately 100 Montana soldiers said good bye to their loved ones Monday morning at the Billings Logan International Airport Edwards Jet Center as their unit set off for its first deployment.

The Montana Army National Guard's 260th Combat Engineer Support Company will spend approximately eight weeks at Fort Bliss, Texas before deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The unit, head-quartered in Miles City with detachments in Sidney and Culbertson, is scheduled to be mobilized for one year to remove mines and other obstacles along roads and trails as well as conduct general engineering and support maneuver units.

"Our soldiers are of the highest level within the United States. They have a great work ethic and always are jumping in when things need to get done. We not only have Montana soldiers. We also have soldiers deploying with us from surrounding states. Every single one of them right now is ready to go, and I have nothing but confidence in the soldiers that we have," commander of the unit, Capt. Roger Henschel, said.

The departure was emotional. This is the first deployment for many of the soldiers. Henschel said the community and families have been a great support to the soldiers and to the mission as a whole.

The unit has been conducting extensive training since the deployment was announced two years ago.