Calling up the Guard

By Staff
May 14, 2004
The latest round of National Guard call-ups involves nearly 4,000 guardsmen statewide, including about 420 members of the Mississippi National Guard's 150th Combat Engineer Battalion based in Meridian. The citizen-soldiers, part of the 155th Separate Armored Brigade, headquartered in Tupelo, have been put on alert to begin planning for possible deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
They are not the first guardsmen called to duty, nor are they like to be the last as the war against terrorism continues.
As they make preparations to leave home, family and friends, the thoughts and prayers of a grateful community are with them, just as our thoughts and prayers are with members of Guard units already either in the Middle East or who have completed their missions.
The National Guard represents a reservoir of strength supporting America's national defense; its troops are well-trained and ready to handle whatever assignment they are handed. We salute the commitment of guardsmen who are always ready to respond to the call of duty.