Two hundred and fifty New York Army National Guard soldiers were recognized on January 22 at the Army Aviation Flight Facility in Rochester before departing for a deployment to Kuwait.
The soldiers are assigned to the 642nd Aviation Support Battalion, and Detachment 1, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 126th General Support Aviation Battalion.
They will receive training at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, and Fort Hood, Texas before deploying to Kuwait.
The soldiers from Bravo Company fly CH-47F Chinook heavy lift helicopters and will be under the control of their battalion at Fort Hood and in Kuwait while they fly missions in support of Army forces in the region.
The 642nd is part of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade.
They will provide support to the 185th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade during operations throughout the region. The 185th is a Mississippi Army National Guard unit.
The soldiers from both units are expected to return home in about 11 months.
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