340 Hudson Valley National Guard Soldiers leave for deployment from Stewart Air Guard Base on August 13

STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, NEWBURGH, NEW YORK (08/10/2023) (readMedia)-- Three hundred and forty New York Army National Guard Soldiers based in the Hudson Valley will say farewell to their families and depart to Fort Cavazos, Texas (Formerly Fort Hood) prior to a deployment to the Middle East, during a Sunday, August 13 ceremony at Stewart Air National Guard Base.

Members of the press are invited to attend the farewell ceremony for the Soldiers of the 101st Expeditionary Signal Brigade.

WHO: 340 Soldiers and family members of the 101st Expeditionary Signal Brigade, which has units stationed in Yonkers, Peekskill, and Orangeburg. The commander is Lt. Col. Paul Mulligan.

WHAT: A farewell ceremony for the members of the 101st Expeditionary Signal Brigade. The Soldiers will be addressed by New York National Guard leaders and then board aircraft to head to Fort Bliss, Texas for 45 days of post-mobilization training, before deploying to Kuwait in support of U.S. Army missions in the Middle East.

WHEN: Sunday, August 13, at 11:30 a.m. Reporters must coordinate for access in advance.

WHERE: Stewart Air National Guard Base, 1 Maguire Way, Newburgh NY

Coverage Opportunities:

Reporters will be able to interview troops, leaders, and family members. There will be an opportunity to get still and video imagery of Soldiers in formation and boarding aircraft.

In order enter this secure military facility, reporters must contact Master Sgt. Patrick Espeut, the 105th Airlift wing Public Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer no later than 5 p.m. on August 10, by sending an email to patrick.espeut@us.af.mil or by calling (845) 563-2040.

Reporters must have press credentials and a valid driver's license.

BACKGROUND

The 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion can provide communications for Army units across vast distances employing the Warrior Information Network-Tactical system, known as WIN-T.

The WIN-T system uses satellite communications stations as well as the transmitters, receivers, routers, switches, modems, and cables which Army units to securely transmit voice, data, text, video, and graphic data.

The 101st Soldiers will deploy to Soldiers to Kuwait in support of the Army's 10,000-Soldier Task Force Spartan which conducts missions in the region.

The Soldiers, who have been preparing for the mobilization for more than a year, will conduct training at Fort Bliss, Texas prior to deploying to Kuwait in September. They are expected to return home in May of 2024.

The 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion traces its history back to December 1886 when a unit was organized as the Provisional Signal Company of the New York National Guard's First Brigade.

The battalion served in France During World War I and in the Philippines during World War II. The battalion was also mobilized for the Korean War and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

The battalion deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and received the Meritorious Unit Citation for its exceptional service for that tour.

In March 2018, the 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion deployed to the Middle East and returned in January of 2019.

The battalion supported military operations in Syria against the Islamic State and operations in Afghanistan.

The unit provided communications support at seven locations and manned a dozen communications hubs across U.S. Central Command's area.

101st Soldiers took part in three major exercises in Egypt and Qatar, and managed tactical communications for the Army Theater Wide Air Defense Artillery Brigade's Patriot mission sites in the Persian Gulf region.

Finally, the New York National Guard Soldiers provided secure computer communications to military units operating in southern Afghanistan.