Maine National Guard announces deployment cancellation for 262nd Engineer Company

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Maine Army National Guard Soldiers battled less than favorable conditions when they arrived in Vermont in 2011. The Soldiers worked 10 hour days in the field. (US Army photo by Sgt. Angela Parady)

AUGUSTA, ME (09/03/2014)(readMedia)-- Brigadier General James D. Campbell, The Adjutant General of Maine, announced that he was notified by the National Guard Bureau that the planned deployment to Afghanistan of the 262nd Engineer Company has been cancelled. The unit mobilization was cancelled by the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) as a result of the President's order to reduce US military forces in Afghanistan to less than 9.8 thousand personnel by 31 December 2014.

The 262nd Engineer Company (Horizontal) headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, has 150 members and was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan in December 2014, to support retrograde operations as part of the Central Command Materiel Recovery Element. The unit operates heavy engineer equipment, such as dozers and front-end loaders, to build roads, airfields, and move tons of earth and material.

General Campbell said, "The Maine Army National Guard staff is quickly evaluating the impact of this announcement and will ensure that we support our Soldiers and their families as they transition back to a more regular training cycle and adjust to the cancellation of their combat deployment. We have been aware for some time that there was a possibility that the 262nd Engineer Company would not deploy, given the drawdown of our forces and the transition of the mission in Afghanistan. This cancellation marks the first time since 2003 that we do not have any Maine Army Guard units deployed or readying to deploy - for many of us this is a significant adjustment. However, the high state of professionalism, morale, and readiness in the 262nd Engineer Company and all of our units unit will not change - we will remain fully prepared for any mission in support of our citizens, both at home and abroad."

The Maine National Guard and senior leadership are committed to working with the families and soldiers as they continue to train and be prepared to answer our nation's call at any time.

For further information, please contact the Maine National Guard Public Affairs Officer, Captain Norman Stickney, (207) 430-5759, or norman.j.stickney.mil@mail.mil.