Alabama deploys National Guard unit to Afghanistan

MONTGOMERY, AL (09/05/2013)(readMedia)-- The Alabama Army National Guard's 1103rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, out of Eufaula, has been called to active duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 1103rd will have a departure ceremony in Eufaula at the Lakepoint Resort & Conference Center, 104 Old Highway 165, at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013.

The 1103rd CSSB will deploy more than 60 Alabama National Guard Soldiers to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 1103rd CSSB will be a central mission command headquarters conducting and enabling the United States Central Command Materiel Retrograde Element (CMRE) mission in Afghanistan. It will work as an enabler for base closure, mobile container assistance, and materiel redistribution.

The 1103rd will continue to undergo extensive training at a mobilization station before deploying later this fall.

State and local officials, as well as senior Alabama National Guardsmen, will attend the ceremony to send off the Soldiers of the 1103rd. The general public is invited and encouraged to attend to show their support for the Soldiers and their families.

The Alabama National Guard has called more than 21,000 personnel to active duty since 9/11 and remains a top contributor among the nation's National Guard organizations.

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POC: MAJ Chris Amos 334-425-8185, christopher.j.amos6.mil@mail.mil