Farewell Ceremony Honors Afghanistan-bound Soldiers of D.C. National Guard

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Members of the 273rd Military Police Company huddle before their departure ceremony held Jan. 5 at the D.C. Armory

WASHINGTON, DC (01/05/2012)(readMedia)-- Members of two units of the District of Columbia Army National Guard deploying to Afghanistan were honored in a departure ceremony held Jan. 5th in the D.C. Armory.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Washington Mayor Vincent Gray gave remarks and presented a D.C. Flag to the unit's commander before participating in the tradition of "Trooping the Line," a formal inspection and recognition of each soldier.

The ceremony was held in honor of the deploying members of the 273rd Military Police Company and the 121st Criminal Investigations Detachment who are deploying to Afghanistan.

"The distinguished guests here are not the people sitting on stage." said Congresswoman Norton. "The distinguished guests fall into three categories: Members of the 273rd Military Police Company, members of the 121st Criminal Investigation Detachment and their families who support them here today."

Deployment is not a new thing for many of these soldiers. Eighteen of the deploying soldiers have completed at least one previous deployment, and five of the soldiers are about to embark on their third deployment.

The 273rd and 121st have a long history of providing support to the city of Washington when called upon. Thirty-two members have deployed in support of such operations as the "snomagedden" of 2010, presidential inaugurations and the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial dedication. Historically, the D.C. National Guard's military police units helped keep the city safe during the 1968 riots and the Civil Rights protests on the National Mall in the 1960's and 1970's.

"These soldiers serve as a role model for those in this city," Mayor Gray said. "They represent the District of Columbia in representing what democracy means around the world."

Although many soldiers think of their unit as family, six of these soldiers are bringing along kin. The 273rd has three sets of cousins who will be deploying together.

The 273rd MP's next stop will be Fort Bliss, Texas, for intensive training before beginning a mission providing base security in Afghanistan. The 121st CID will be joining other National Guard members as part of a six-person criminal investigation team supporting Special Operations Command.

The District of Columbia Army National Guard has completed 22 previous deployments, providing 1,200 soldiers to support the global war on terror.

The 273rd MP is commanded by Capt. William Demps. He has deployed once before, as an E-4 Specialist, before receiving a commission and returning to deploy with the unit again. The unit's first sergeant is Temple Jefferson, who has deployed with a military police unit in Iraq. The 121st CI detachment deploying element is led by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Milford "Ray" Echols.

Story and Photos by Army 1st Lt. Miranda Summers Lowe