Half of Maine Guard to deploy to Iraq, Afghanistan

Nearly half of Maine's Army National Guard soldiers will soon be sent overseas, and all of those units will face war for a second time, according to a guard spokesman.

More than 800 men and women are being deployed, with over 300 of them bound for Afghanistan, some on the volatile Pakistan border.

Maine Adj. Gen. John "Bill" Libby said Thursday before meeting with Adm. Michael Mullen, head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, in Washington, D.C., that he felt confident Maine would have enough troops left to respond to emergencies here, and he wasn't worried about more Maine soldiers being tapped should President Barack Obama order a surge in Afghanistan.

The current deployment has been five years coming, Libby said. The 133rd Engineer Combat Battalion, with 540 soldiers, many from the Lewiston area, returned from Iraq in 2005. The battalion is tentatively set to redeploy to Iraq in early March, he said.

The 172nd Mountain Infantry Company, based in Brewer, is set to deploy in December with a mission in Afghanistan. The 1136th Transportation Company is set to deploy in early 2010 to Afghanistan as well. One hundred and sixty members of the 286th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion are already in that country, according to Maine Guard spokesman Capt. Shanon Cotta.

Libby said the risk in Iraq is down "significantly."

"There's reason to be optimistic about their mission and the environment," Libby said. "On the other hand, the units that are going into Afghanistan, unless you live in a cave, you know that Afghanistan is a very dangerous place right now. Casualties have gone up exponentially in the past six months. Our transportation company that's going over is going to have a fixed-site security mission, but when they're attacking the embassies and the capital, fixed-site security is still a dangerous mission. And of course the mountain company is going to be deployed fairly close to the Pakistan border, as we understand it, with a mentoring mission with the Afghan National Army — that's a very dangerous environment."

The National Guard uses a five-year cycle that, in the fifth year, leaves units vulnerable for deployment. That cycle hit Maine in 2004 and again now, Libby said.

Because of that, "at the present time I don't have any concerns about the fact if the troop structure in Afghanistan goes up 40,000 people, that that's going to impact our organization in terms of having to go early," Libby said.

The meeting with Mullen in D.C. was part of a small, quarterly meeting of state National Guard heads. Libby anticipated questions about troop build-up would be raised.

In advance of their missions, Libby said Maine units have stepped up training over the past year. They've been told to expect a one-year deployment, including advance time spent at a stateside base.

The Maine National Guard has sent more than 2,300 men and women to Iraq and Afghanistan. Eight have died, Cotta said.

The guard currently has 2,100 soldiers, he said.

Libby said the state has been supportive of the soldiers and their families. He praised their sacrifice, as well as that of business people who've understood as employees have gone off to serve.

"Most (current soldiers) joined the organization since 9/11," Libby said. "To raise their hand knowing full well that they will likely be mobilized and deployed says everything you need to know about the caliber of the people we've got serving us right now."

Gov. John Baldacci, through a spokesperson, said he'd been assured by Libby that in the event of an emergency, Maine will have enough soldiers to help, and if it doesn't, it can call on other states in a sort of mutual aid.

"The men and women who serve in the Maine National Guard are dedicated to their families and the nation, and have the full support and gratitude of the state," Baldacci said. "Obviously, we would prefer that they not be deployed, but I'm certain that if you asked them, they would all tell you they are proud to do their duty for their country. We pray each day that they are away for their safe return."

kskelton@sunjournal.com