Photo By John Oldham | CAMP JOSEPH T. ROBINSON, NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Capt. William Winn of Fort Smith,...... read more read more
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More than 30 Arkansas Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 216th Military Police Company participated in a deployment ceremony Aug. 1. They’ll depart for their mobilization station in the coming days, and then on to Romania for a nine-month mission.
Once in Romania, they will conduct law enforcement duties on a military installation, to include security patrols, base entry, and customs duties for transiting American military members arriving from other countries, ensuring no contraband or prohibited items, per general orders, are possessed.
"There’s no prouder calling than serving one’s nation," said Maj. Gen. Jonathan Stubbs, Arkansas’ adjutant general. “These Guardsmen are trained and ready for this mission. We’re thankful to their families for the love and support they will give their Guardsmen over the course of this deployment, and we’re thankful for the support of their employers who will surely miss them while they are away.”
The unit’s commander echoed those sentiments at the ceremony.
“This platoon contains some of the finest military police officers that the state of Arkansas has to offer,” said Capt. Khatiana Butler, 216th Military Police Company commander. “…We will be right here in the rear back home, ready to support you, our Soldiers, and their families in every way. We’re always ready to assist, always ready to protect, and always ready to defend.”
The Guardsmen have spent the previous six months conducting individual and collective training to prepare for their mission. They used their annual training to finalize preparations.
“You have been battle tested, and you have proved that you are ready for this mission,” Lt. Col. Anita Cleveland, 871st Troop Command battalion commander. “It takes a strong-minded individual to pack up their bags and leave their family and friends.”
The 216th was originally created as a field artillery battery in West Memphis, Ark., in the 1950s. It converted to a military police company in 2000 and moved to North Little Rock, Ark., in 2009.
The 216th Military Police Co. was federally mobilized in 2003 to provide garrison security at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., for one year. Its members directly deployed overseas from Fort Leonard Wood to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2004 for its first overseas deployment. The unit deployed again in 2008 to Iraq to provide convoy security in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 216th deployed on federal orders in 2014 to Afghanistan to serve as prison guards in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 216th deployed more than 30 to Romania in November 2023, which these Guardsmen will be replacing.
The 216th’s members have supported numerous domestic missions, such as disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and numerous state active-duty missions in support of floods, ice storms, and civil unrest.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2024 14:06 |
| Story ID: | 477568 |
| Location: | NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 185 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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