Photo By Staff Sgt. Jonathan Campbell | U.S. Soldiers with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th...... read more read more
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CAMP MCGREGOR, N.M. -- Throughout December, the days quickly counted down to the last day of the year. Time with family flew by. Christmas morning, that all important day for children, came and went in the blink of an eye and before it seemed possible, it was time to say good-bye. The families of Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, from every corner of the state, crowded into drill hall floors, many of them for the first time. Kids ran around, not fully understanding the significance of the day. Mothers tearfully embraced their sons or daughters, and fathers shook hands before pulling their boys into their arms.
This great adventure, the reason many brave young Soldiers signed up, was about to begin.
The men carried their bags out to the bus, through the throng of local veterans’ groups and families, and we gave one last embrace to our wives, our children, our brothers and sisters and our parents. And it was time to go. The town seemed to close down as the wailing firetrucks and police escorted the buses as on a parade. Then we were gone.
That first step onto the bus was a giant leap for many into the unknown. There are few Soldiers still in the ranks with a patch on their right sleeve. There are even fewer platoon leaders with them. But the units have been preparing since before the day they were tapped for the mission. On a condensed timeline the units of Task Force Paxton executed two annual training events in addition to all their normal drill dates, passing all the gates necessary to deploy.
Squad live fire and platoon live fire were the focus of the training through 2023 and once the task force reached Camp McGregor, the companies each moved through additional training events, culminating in a CALFEX through the day and the frigid night.
As we boarded the plane headed for Fort Bliss, Maj. Gen. Mark McCormack, the commanding general of the 28th Infantry Division, and members of his staff were there to wish us well and shake each of our hands. Though it was only a second of time that flashed by, it was the first time many had been face-to-face and shaken hands with two generals, a colonel, and the 28th ID command sergeant major.
The next few days passed quickly as the Soldiers arrived at Camp McGregor, a satellite base of Ft. Bliss, used for mobilizing Soldiers and other training events. Here, Task Force Paxton assembled. Nine different companies from across Pennsylvania, mostly from 2nd Battalion, 112th Infantry Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, combined for the upcoming rotation.
Camp McGregor is in the middle of the desert, just over the New Mexico border, and encompasses over 600,000 acres. The desert landscape is interspersed with mesas that glow in the morning sunrise and the evening sunset, set against a vast sky, in colors and contrast that no camera can ever fully capture. The McGregor Range complex is adjacent to the White Sands Missile Range, and is used for various training events, including tank maneuvers, ground force training, artillery and air defense artillery training.
We worked our way through another in-processing procedure, receiving vaccinations and other medical testing that ensured each Soldier was ready to deploy. Then each company drew sensitive items, unpacked gear and weapons sent from each home station, acclimatized to the surprisingly cold, dry and windy climate, and began conducting training on the team, squad, platoon and company level.
The ever important zero and qualification ranges were run, and each company sent representatives to classes on specialized weapon systems and emerging threats. Each company participated in a FOB (Forward Operating Base) defense exercise and a CALFEX (Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise).
Overshadowing each training event is the knowledge that the training received now may be the training necessary to protect or save our fellow Soldiers’ lives in the very near future.
This is not just another Annual Training event but is to prepare us for the very real possibility of facing an attack in a foreign land.
As we board the planes to our mission location, there will be no escort, there will be no tearful last embrace, there will be no turning back. The Soldiers of the Task Force Paxton have a job to do and we will do it without reservation. For our fellow Soldiers, for our families, for our country and everything the flag represents.
Over the next days and months, as the Task Force makes its way to its destination, please keep the Soldiers and the leaders of Task Force Paxton in your thoughts and prayers. Your support means the world to us as we face a very real danger in a place far from home.
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.04.2024 12:36 |
| Story ID: | 463123 |
| Location: | CAMP MCGREGOR, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 643 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Deployment
