New York National Guard Soldiers Return to United States from Afghanistan

Related Media

New York Army National Guard Stability Transition Team members prior to leaving for Afghanistan on Feb, 29, 2012.

LATHAM, NY (10/23/2012)(readMedia)-- Nineteen members of the New York Army National Guard's Stability Transition Team (STT) have arrived back in the United States, after serving in Afghanistan since March.

The Soldiers will outprocess at Camp Shelby, Mississippi, and are expected to return to New York on Oct. 27 and 28.

A total of 45 New York Army National Guard officers and senior non-commissioned officers were mobilized in January for deployment to Afghanistan. Their mission was to work with Afghan local governments, officials, and police forces to pave the way for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops in 2014 by support local institutions.

The team members who returned to Camp Shelby on Monday, Oct. 22 were sent home as part of the ongoing draw down of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The other members of the New York Stability Transition Team continue their service in Afghanistan in a number of locations in southern Afghanistan and are expected to redeploy in December.

After training at Camp Shelby following their mobilization Jan. 15, the STT members left the U.S. for Afghanistan on Feb. 29.

The members of the unit were selected based on their military and civilian skills and experience and come from New York Army National Guard units in the Capital Region and New York City, as well as Western New York. More than half of the Stability Transition Team members have previously deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.