South Dakota National Guard unit alerted for possible deployment

RAPID CITY – Soldiers of the 129^th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment were notified of a possible deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Notification began Monday, November 14.

The headquarters and half the unit’s members drill in Rapid City while the other half train in Bismarck, N.D.

            The mobilization date is yet to be published; however, the unit can expect to report to Fort Riley, Kan., for the mobilization and deployment process.  The 129^th MPAD Soldiers from S.D. and N.D. are expected to link up and train together once they report to the mobilization station.  The report date to Fort Riley has not yet been published.

            The soldiers of the 129^th MPAD just recently returned in September from their three-week annual training held in the hurricane disaster area of New Orleans.  While coving the hurricane relief effort, the unit was able to train on the same mission it will conduct while in the Middle East.  Their mission is to provide public affairs and media support in telling the Guard’s story.

Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks on America, the South Dakota Army National Guard has mobilized more than 2,700 Soldiers from more than 30 different units to support the Global War on Terrorism both at home and abroad. During the peak of deployments, South Dakota had more than 1,500 Soldiers in Iraq at one time.

More than two thirds of the South Dakota Air National Guard’s 1,000 members have actively supported the Global War on Terrorism at home or abroad.

Currently, about 160 Soldiers remain on duty in Iraq and nearly 3,500 National Guard men and women are still serving in a non-active duty status in South Dakota and continue to provide support for state and national emergencies and homeland defense.