At headquarters, Iraq deployment a reality
Sunday, March 4, 2007 12:08 AM PST
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| Laura Mackie-hancock | Special to the argus observer
Heavy mobile equipment repairmen Leo Kepplinger, left, and Elmer Declue of the La Grande National Guard unit, replace U-joints in the driveline system of a M-998 Humvee Wednesday .
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Dick Mason Special to the Argus
LA GRANDE — Shifting from tanks to armored Humvees is proving to be an
easy transition for members of La Grande’s National Guard unit.
More transitions probably await the unit, ones that undoubtedly have its
soldiers and their families on edge. The unit has not been mobilized, but the possibility that it will be
activated and sent to Iraq is growing. Gov. Ted Kulongoski said at a press conference last week that the unit is among those that may soon be mobilized.
The unit, however, has received no official word that its status has changed, said Lt. Col. Dan McCabe, commander of 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade. The battalion is headquartered in La Grande.
National Guard units are put on alert before they are mobilized. McCabe has not been notified that his unit will be put on alert.
There are indications, though, that the unit is being prepared for a mission to Iraq. The unit’s soldiers, who specialize in the operation of tanks, are now concentrating on learning about the care and maintenance of armored Humvees.
McCabe said there is a greater need for Humvees than tanks in Iraq. Soldiers are learning basic things about Humvee operation — things such as preventative maintenance and how to repair the vehicles.
The switch from tanks to Humvees has not been difficult, McCabe said. He pointed out that many soldiers in the unit have driven them as support vehicles.
Soldiers in the unit are also focusing their attention on Combat Life Saver. Through this program soldiers learn how to provide advanced first aid to the wounded.
Members of the unit will be sent to Camp Rilea on the Oregon coast near Astoria in March for training on infantry tactics and peacekeeping duties in an urban setting. Soldiers will be taught things such as how to operate check points and conduct convoys. This summer the unit’s members are scheduled to be sent to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., from July 10 to Aug. 1. The unit had first been scheduled to to go the center in 2006.
Employers who have soldiers in the National Guard will again be given the opportunity to observe training sessions at Camp Rilea and the National Training Center. This gives employers the chance to see what soldiers are going through.
The 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry (Armor) has 470 members, including about 150 in Union and Wallowa counties.
There is not a set mobilization schedule the military follows once it puts a National Guard unit on alert. McCabe said that normally units are mobilized 60 to 120 days after being put on alert. Sometimes, though, units are mobilized sooner.
McCabe said that the training his unit will receive will focus on assisting those who need help. “We are learning how to save lives and prevent injuries,’’ McCabe said.
McCabe likes to paraphrase the late Gen. Douglas MacArthur when he talks about training.
“We are sweating gallons now so that we will not shed blood later,’’ McCabe said.
