New York City Troops Return Home from Iraq

Media Advisory

NEW YORK (04/07/2011)(readMedia)-- The 160 Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard's 442nd Military Police Company return home to family and loved ones here on Friday, April 8, after almost nine months of service in Iraq.

WHAT: Homecoming of the New York Army National Guard's 442nd Military Police Company from Iraq.

WHO: More than New York Army National Guard 150 Soldiers and their family members.

WHEN: Friday, April 8 at approximately 10 a.m. News media should plan to be on site by 9:30 a.m.

WHERE: New York National Guard Armory, 5th Avenue, Harlem, N.Y.

Media Opportunity:

Imagery of the Soldiers in formation, reuniting with families. There will be opportunities to interview Soldiers, their families and New York Army National Guard leaders.

News media expecting to cover the family reunion should notify Lt. Col. Paul Fanning at (518) 441-4106 prior to arriving at the Harlem Armory. For more information about the 442nd Military Police Company, contact 1st Lt. Raul Maisonet at (917) 349-3619.

Background

The 442nd Military Police Company mobilized April 18, 2010 and deployed in August 2010. The company was based in Ramadi, Iraq as part of the 4th Advise and Assist Brigade assigned to the Third Infantry Division. The company operated throughout Anbar Province, covering cities from the west such as Rawah, Anah, Hit and Baghdadi stretching east to Habaniyah and Ramadi.

The unit conducted more than 400 partnered missions with Iraqi law enforcement or security forces. The Soldiers also provided training in riot control techniques to assist Iraqi forces during the Days of Rage, provided security during Family Visitation Days at the area detention facility and assisted in the training of Iraqi Police Investigative elements. Most notable during the unit's deployment in this region, both Sunni and Shia Iraqi law enforcement personnel worked side by side against terrorism cells.

The 442nd Military Police Company is is based at the State Armory in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. The reunion at the Harlem Armory is the headquarters of the unit's higher command, the 369th Sustainment Brigade.

The unit served at Ground Zero following the 9-11, 2001 terrorist attacks and was deployed to Iraq in 2003-4, where it earned a Presidential Unit Citation and helped re-establish a training academy for the Iraqi police.

Approximately a third of the unit's members are civilian law enforcement professionals from across the New York City region and almost a fourth of the unit's members had already completed at least one overseas deployment.