Utica National Guard Soldiers Return Home from Iraq Friday

Media Advisory

UTICA, NY (06/17/2010)(readMedia)-- Soldiers of the New York Army National Guard's 206th Military Police Company will return to the Utica-Rome area on Friday after 10 months in Basra, Iraq.

WHO: 18 Soldiers of the 206th Military Police Company and their family members.

WHAT: The Soldiers will be returning to their home station to be reunited with their families after spending almost 10 months in Basra, Iraq and five days out-processing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

WHEN: The bus is expected at the armory between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June. 18.

WHERE: New York State Armory, 1700 Parkway East, Utica

Coverage Opportunities:

Videographers and still photographers can capture Imagery of the Soldiers greeting their families as they return from deployment. There will be opportunities for short interviews with Soldiers and their family members.

For access to this secure military facility, members of the press should contact the Master Sgt. James Brewer at 315-793-5280

Additional Information:

206th Military Police Company:

More than 160 members of the 206th Military Police Company entered Active Duty in June of 2009 and deployed to Basra Iraq in August 2009. While there the Guard Soldiers helped train Iraqi police officers and assisted in providing security for Iraqi parliamentary elections held in March 2010.

The company is headquartered in Latham, a suburb of Albany, but has Soldiers assigned from all areas of New York. Soldiers from New York City, Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Utica, Auburn, Hornell, Rochester, Binghamton and Buffalo areas deployed with the unit and will return home on Friday, June 18.