SC Guard unit to deploy to Eastern Europe
About 140 soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard will ship out for a nine-month deployment to Eastern Europe on Sunday.
The 742nd Support Maintenance Company will participate in Operation Atlantic Resolve, a joint exercise with Eastern European counties. The operation began in 2014 in response to Russia’s actions in the Ukraine.
The 742nd consists of soldiers specializing in radio electronic technology, vehicle recovery operations and vehicle maintenance. The unit will support the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Carson, Colo.
“We are honored to send our 742nd maintenance professionals to support U.S. Army Europe, where their skills in vehicle, electronics and weapons repair will keep operations moving,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert E. Livingston, Jr., the adjutant general for South Carolina.
The company is based at McEntire Joint National Guard Base in Eastover.
The soldiers began training in January, and will ship out Sunday for a month of additional training in Texas before departing for the nine-month deployment. The unit will likely be utilized in more than one Eastern European allied country, said S.C. National Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Cindi King.
The soldiers will receive a sendoff by family members on Sunday at Eagle Aviation at Columbia Metropolitan Airport.
Atlantic Resolve is intended to reassure NATO allies of America’s commitment to ensuring stability in the region in the face of the Russian intervention in Ukraine. Multinational training is taking place in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, according to the U.S. Army.
S.C. Army and Air National Guard deployments
As of this month, the S.C. National Guard has about 300 members deployed around the world. The numbers are approximate, as the Guard doesn’t release exact deployment figures:
▪ 60 soldiers from the 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion are in Kuwait
▪ 25 soldiers from the B-642nd Aviation Support Battalion are in Kuwait
▪ 30 soldiers from 228th Theater Tactical Signal Brigade are in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan
▪ 40 soldiers from the 151 Signal Battalion are in the Horn of Africa
▪ 120 soldiers from the 131 Military Police Company are in Guantanamo
▪ 10 airmen of the 245th Air Traffic Control are in Southwest Asia
▪ 50 soldiers and airmen are on individual mobilizations worldwide
Source: S.C Military Department
This story was originally published February 24, 2017 at 9:14 AM with the headline "SC Guard unit to deploy to Eastern Europe."