Local Guardsmen Answer Nation's call
By Stacey Creasy
Pilot News
PLYMOUTH � The effects of the war on terrorism has reached home.
The Pilot News has learned that a number of Plymouth National Guardsmen have been activated.
Lt. Col. Jim McGillivray, a spokesman for the Indiana National Guard, said an activation order came in this week that calls for at least 600 more members of the Indiana National Guard to go on active duty as part of the nation�s anti-terrorism campaign.
�This order is under Noble Eagle, which is Homeland Security and Enduring Freedom which is the Global War on Terrorism,� McGillivray ex-plained. �That means they could be headed for anywhere in the world.�
The Plymouth National Guard Armory houses Com-pany C, 2nd Battalion, 151st Infantry. The Indiana Guard is not allowed to release many details at this point, but it appears a number of soldiers from the Plymouth Armory may be hooking up with the 152nd Infantry out of Jasper.
�The guardsman that have been activated will be going to Camp Atterbury,� McGillivray said.
Camp Atterbury is in Bartholomew County near Edinburgh. Camp Atterbury is one of 15 mobilization sites in the country.
McGillivray said the 152nd Infantry is a light infantry brigade in the Indiana National Guard.
In addition to Plymouth soldiers, the activation order will affect guardsmen from Martins-ville, Jasper, Washington, Lin-ton, Vincennes, and Tell City.
Once the soldiers are at Camp Atterbury they will begin to work on �individual soldier issues� such as shots, physical and mental exams.
�To make sure the soldier is ready,� McGillivray added. �They will then begin to take the training that is necessary for their mission.�
The local soldiers will receive a sendoff and escort from city officials.
Plymouth Mayor Jim Yeazel was scheduled to be at the National Guard Armory at 10 a.m. today to present them with the flag of the city. Yeazel said he invited city council members to join him.
�We will have two police cars and fire trucks escort them out of town,� Yeazel said.
The activation is the second for the Indiana National Guard this year.
Last month, guardsmen from the 1st Battalion, 293 Regiment, in Fort Wayne, were called-up and sent to Fort Knox, Ky.
There are 11,000 men and women now serving in the Indiana National Guard and 2,000 more in the Air National Guard, McGillivray said.
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
