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Tuesday, August 25, 2009 12:06 PM

Guard unit completes training

Special to The Herald

About 80 Soldiers from the local Kansas Army National Guard Unit, the 250th Forward Support Company, recently completed initial pre-deployment training at Salina.

The 250th, which is based in Ottawa with detachments in Burlington, Clay Center and Sabetha, is set to leave in September with about 350 other soldiers from the 2-130th Field Artillery. They will be part of a rotation to the Sinai Peninsula in support of the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO).

The mission is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979. This will be the 53rd MFO mission that the United States has sent soldiers in support of.

It is the first time the 250th has been deployed since its inception in 2006, and the first time the Kansas Army National Guard has been called for this type of operation. The soldiers spent three weeks training in areas such as combat life saving, combatives, weapons qualification, drown proofing and cultural awareness.

“My favorite part was land navigation, where we got guidance and hands-on training in the use of our equipment” Specialist Marcus Glaser, Michigan Valley, said. “We also got more insight on what’s expected for the MFO mission.”

A ceremony in honor of their departure concluded the training in Salina. Upon leaving, the soldiers will spend a month at Fort Lewis, Wash., completing the last phase of training before departing for Egypt.

The MFO mission is unique in that the area of deployment is not at this time considered a combat zone. The leadership, while stressing the importance of the mission, also emphasized the fact that this is a peacekeeping mission and the element of danger will be minimal.

“This is an important mission and serves a purpose in maintaining peace in the Middle East,” a soldier from Ottawa explained.

Because of the nature of the mission, there will be unique opportunities for soldiers to take online classes and self-development courses. Diving instruction is available near the post, so soldiers can earn their diving certificate and enjoy diving in the Red Sea, which is considered the best diving in the world. There will be many opportunities for physical training, so soldiers can improve themselves physically as well.

For this mission, soldiers will operate checkpoints and observation posts and also conduct reconnaissance patrols on the international border between Egypt and Israel. An additional purpose of the mission is to ensure the freedom of international marine navigation in the Strait of Tiran and access to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Since 1979, the MFO has successfully carried out its mission. The fact that Egypt and Israel have continued to seek and maintain good relations with one another, combined with the effectiveness of the MFO, has resulted in a durable and lasting peaceful relationship between these two nations.

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Guard unit completes training

Special to The Herald

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.