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News Release
Director of Communications, Connecticut National Guard
(860)524-4857 Pager (860)340-2528
Email: paoct@ct.ngb.army.mil
November
10,
2003
CONNECTICUT ARMY NATIONAL GUARD UNIT RECEIVES MOBILIZATION
ORDERS
NEWINGTON, Conn. – Maj. Gen. William A. Cugno, the Adjutant General of the
Connecticut National Guard announces that approximately 140 soldiers from the
118TH Medical Battalion (Area Support) of Newington are alerted for mobilization
in support of “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
A total of 350 members of the 118th Medical Battalion
(Area Support) have received mobilization orders that will place them on active
duty for a period not to exceed 545 days or 18 months as part of the
Presidential Select Reserve Call-up (PSRC), under Title 10 United States Code
12302, partial mobilization.
“Although the deployment is scheduled for 18 months, the active duty period
could be less based on operational requirements,” said Maj. John Whitford,
Public Affairs Officer of the Connecticut National Guard.
A total of 350 soldiers are coming from the 118th
Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company (HSC) from Connecticut with
subordinate units in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
The breakdown is as follows:
118th HSC, Connecticut Army National Guard – 140
Company A, 118th, Massachusetts Army National Guard – 70
Company B, 118th, Wisconsin Army National Guard – 70
Company C, 118th, Ohio Army National Guard – 70
"The Connecticut National Guard has been very active in the Global War on
Terror. The 118th Medical Battalion are extremely well trained and have a high
level of competency and experience," said Maj. Gen. William A. Cugno,
Connecticut's adjutant general and commander of the Connecticut National Guard."
The 118th Medical Battalion originally formed in 1922 as the 118th Medical
Regiment and was assigned to the 43d Division. The unit was federally recognized
in 1923 and stationed in New Haven. Since then the unit had reorganized and
redesignated several time and was later reorganized and redesignated in March
1996 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 118th Medical Battalion
in Connecticut which later moved from New Haven to Newington. (Companies A, B, C
are allotted to the Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and the Ohio Army National Guard.)
The unit participated and received battle streamers during World War II at
Guadalcanal, New Guinea, North Solomons and Luzon. The unit also received the
Meritorious Unit Commendation (Army), for their work in the Pacific Theater and
the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
Company B from Wisconsin and Company C from Ohio also participated and received
battle streamers in World War II at Papua, Leyte and Bougainville respectively.
Approximately 500 soldiers from the Connecticut Army National Guard are
stationed in Iraq and Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with an
additional 130 soldiers and airmen from the Connecticut National Guard stationed
in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The 118th Medical Battalion provides non-surgical medical care and area medical
evacuation. The unit is comprised of doctors, nurses, medics, support personnel
and specialized medical assets.
With the current mobilization, the Connecticut National Guard has more than
1, 160 soldiers and airmen mobilized and deployed.
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