WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Guard Begins Deployment to Afghanistan

Guard Begins Deployment to Afghanistan

South Burlington, Vermont - October 30, 2009

Hundreds of Vermont guardsmen are on the move today.

They are off to Fort Polk in Louisiana for training in advance of their mission to Afghanistan. About 600 members of the 86th Brigade Combat team flew out of Burlington today. 600 more will leave tomorrow. Among them are three dozen members of an advance unit were officially deployed this morning.

A much smaller group of 38 formed up for what would be the first actual farewell. They are members of the Brigade headquarters who will undergo the same training, but then leave for Afghanistan without returning to Vermont. In a few cases, the departing soldiers are women.

Staff Sergeant Jamie Marshall will leave her husband behind to take care of the kids.

"I think it's going to be a little different for me, but they will have their dad and I think he probably has the tougher job, staying home with them," he said.  

National Guard General Michael Dubie handed over the Green Mountain Boys battle flag to Colonel Will Roy, who will command the Brigade in Afghanistan known as Task Force Phoenix.

"I will entrust this to Colonel Roy, but it represents all 1400 to 1500 Vermonters that will be deployed," said Major General Michael Dubie.

Colonel Roy's right-hand man is Brigade Command Sergeant Major Blodgett, the ranking non-commissioned officer.

"I'm the senior NCO, but I'll tell you I'm very fortunate to have the soldiers I have in the Brigade. The NCOs are just, they just have so much talent. It's easy for me," said Blodgett.

Their mission will be to imbed with Afghan forces and help bring security to the country. Political Scientist Gordon Robinson of the University of Vermont is an expert on the Middle East. He says the mission is realistic, but won't be easy.

"What is your prognosis for this Task Force Phoenix kind of strategy, going in, imbedding the soldiers with the Afghan units and going out into the countryside?" asked reporter Andy Potter. 

"I think the question it raises is how much long-term political will do we have back on this side of the ocean. It's not necessarily a bad strategy, it might in fact be a incredibly good strategy. But it's something that if you're going to do it, you have to be really committed to stick at it for five, six, eight, ten years," replied Robinson.

Other than the 38 member unit that formed up Friday morning, the 1,400 full employment will be back briefly for Thanksgiving. But then they're gone for real on Mission Afghanistan.

The deploying soldiers will join the rest of the brigade for training at Folk Polk in Louisiana, and then more training at Camp Atterbury in Indiana.

The actual mission in Afghanistan won't begin until January. The Vermonters will join Task Force Phoenix, working to train the Afghan military. They expect to be deployed in the northern, capital and western sections of the country.

Andy Potter - WCAX News