SEN. WYSS SALUTES INDIANA NATIONAL GUARD FOR KEY ROLE IN TERROR WAR
More than 3,000 Hoosier soldiers from 22 units will be deployed to Iraq next year
State Sen. Tom Wyss (R-Fort Wayne) saluted Indiana Army National Guard members and their families recently in the wake of Tuesday’s announcement that more than 3,000 of them will be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan next year – the largest deployment of Hoosier soldiers since World War II.
“Once again, Hoosier soldiers are making sacrifices to keep us safe – and their families are making sacrifices while they are gone,” Wyss said. “They all have our utmost gratitude. Our prayers are with them and we hope they return safely.”
News of the deployment came during Tuesday’s meeting of the Commission on Military and Veterans Affairs, chaired by Sen. Tom Wyss (R-Fort Wayne).
“I’m so proud of the difference our Indiana National Guard is making in response to our national security needs,” Wyss said. “We’ve become the number one National Guard recruiting state in the nation and that speaks so highly of the young men and women dedicated to protecting us both here and abroad.”
Brigadier Gen. Clif Tooley outlined a plan to send 3,439 Army National Guard troops to Iraq and Afghanistan for committee members. The deployment will involve soldiers from Indianapolis, Evansville, Jasper, Linton, Martinsville, Washington, New Albany, Madison, Connersville, Salem, Fort Wayne, Warsaw, Huntington, Muncie, Richmond, Scottsburg, Terre Haute, Evansville, Winchester, Greenfield, Greencastle and Remington Army National Guard units.
“It will affect almost every county of the state to some degree,” Tooley said.
According to Tooley, approximately 12,000 Hoosiers in either Air or Army National Guard units have been deployed since combat in Iraq began. Currently, 975 Hoosiers are deployed, most in or around Baghdad. Tooley said some Hoosiers are serving in other parts of Iraq while others are still in Afghanistan. There are 75 Hoosiers serving at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
“This is an unbelievable investment in our nation’s efforts overseas,” Wyss said.
Committee members also learned that as the troops go out, more federal dollars are coming in to transform Indiana facilities for future use in the war. Tooley reported $242 million was earmarked for renovations at Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck training grounds.—”large scale training to respond to threats both domestic and overseas,” Tooley said.
“Three or four large training exercises are planned at these facilities yet this year,” Tooley said.
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