Farewell Ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 6 for NY Army Guard aviators deploying to East Africa

LATHAM, NEW YORK (11/04/2022) (readMedia)-- Five New York Army National Guard Soldiers who operate a C-12 transport plane based at Albany International Airport in Latham, and will be deploying to East Africa later this month, will be recognized during a deployment ceremony on Sunday morning, November 6.

Members of the press are invited to cover the ceremony at Army Aviation Support Facility # 3 at the New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham.

WHO: Five New York Army National Guard soldiers assigned to the local detachment of Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 245th Aviation Regiment.

WHAT: A farewell ceremony recognizing the five aviators being conducted by the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.

WHERE: Army Aviation Support Facility New York National Guard headquarters, 330 Old Niskayuna Road, Latham, New York.

WHEN: 11 a.m. on Sunday, November 6.

Coverage Opportunities:

Interviews with deploying Guard Soldiers and video of the ceremony. The ceremony will be held in the hanger in front of the C-12 aircraft the Soldiers normally fly here in the United States.

Reporters must contact Eric Durr at 518-429-5186 for access to this secure military facility. Or email eric.durr5.nfg@army.mil

BACKGROUND:

The five aviation Soldiers mobilize on November 12 and will report to Fort Bliss, Texas for additional training on November 15. They are expected to depart for Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti by the end of November.

The C-12 Huron is the military version of the Model 200 Super King Air civilian executive aircraft. The plane has a crew of two-the pilot and co-pilot-and can carry seven passengers and cargo at a speed of 330 miles-per-hour.

The New York aviators will deploy with four Soldiers from the Kentucky Army National Guard.

They will be flying planes which are already located at Camp Lemonnier.

The Soldiers are members of Charlie Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 245th Aviation Regiment. The battalion has detachments responsible for ferrying military passengers located at Army National Guard aviation bases across the country.

The New York National Guard C-12 detachment will be the command element for the mission.

The Soldiers will be flying cargo and passengers to U.S. facilities across East Africa, according to Chief Warrant Officer 5 James McCauley, the detachment commander.

The detachment is expected to return to New York in August 2023.

The New York National Guard has deployed 1,100 Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, and the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry Regiment to the Horn of African to provide security support at U.S. bases.

The New York Army National Guard has also deployed 140 Soldiers to Germany where they are assisting in training the Ukrainian Army. Another 600 Soldiers are on duty in Kuwait.

More Soldiers from the 101st Expeditionary Signal Battalion will be deploying to Kuwait in 2023.

The Latham-based C-12 detachment has deployed four times previously in support of overseas mission.

The unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2009-2010, and to Djibouti in 2013-2014. The unit sent an aircraft and aviators to Columbia in 2016 And most recently deployed to Kuwait in 2018-2019.