News from New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs

For more information contact: Eric Durr, (518) 786-4581 of (518) 429-5186 (cell)

National Guard Helicopter Battalion Training For Deployment at Fort Drum

Media Advisory

FORT DRUM, NY (04/09/2008; 0927)(readMedia)-- Citizen Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation Regiment are training at Fort Drum, N.Y. to prepare for a deployment to Iraq this summer. Members of the media are invited to visit the unit to observe training and talk to the Soldiers between April 12 and 18.

WHO: Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation based in Latham and Ronkonkoma.

WHAT: Three weeks of Annual Training at Fort Drum New York in preparation for deployment to Iraq. The high-point of training will include aerial gunnery (April 12 and 13th) where Blackhawk helicopter gunners will engage targets with the M240 machinegun from a hovering helicopter as well as individual Soldier skills training, and tactical flight training.

WHEN: April 12 to April 18, 2008.

WHERE: Fort Drum, Jefferson County.

BACKGROUND: The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, a New York Army National Guard Assault Helicopter Battalion with elements located at McArthur Airport on Long Island and in Latham at the Albany International Airport, will deploy more than 300 Soldiers to Iraq later this year. The Soldiers will be based near Balad, Iraq and will provide transportation support to Multi-National Corps-Iraq (MNC-I) for approximately 10 months.

The Soldiers are due to go on federal active duty in June and will then move to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for pre-mobilization training. The training at Fort Drum is an essential component of a new Army initiative to limit Army Reserve and National Guard mobilizations to no more than 12 months. By conducting more training prior to mobilization, units do not have to spend as much time training after they go on federal duty. Previously Army National Guard and Reserve units have mobilized for 18 months, with six months spent training and 12 months in the theater of operations.

At Fort Drum the aviation battalion Soldiers will conduct weapons training, training on individual Soldier skills, conduct tactical flight and gunnery operations, and go through the administrative work required prior to going on active duty.

Members of the media who wish to visit Fort Drum to cover this training must contact the Division of Military and Naval Affairs Public Affairs Office at 518-786-4581 to make arrangements for a media escort at Fort Drum. The New York Army National Guard cannot provide transportation to and from Fort Drum, but can provide an escort and transportation around the post, to and from the training, and facilitate opportunities to speak with troops and leaders.

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