Area soldiers called to duty
The soldiers with the 1710th Transportation Company will initially be activated for a one-year period.
“The Secretary of the Army may extend this period an additional 12 months based on operational needs or other requirements,” said Lt. Col. Chester C. Carter III, a public affairs officer.
The soldiers will report to their home armory on March 15 and will stay there until they leave for their mobilization station at Fort Lee. From there, they will be deployed to undisclosed locations.
The transportation company transports dry and refrigerated containerized cargo, general non-containerized cargo, bulk water and bulk petroleum products, according to Carter.
The Manassas soldiers will join about 7,500 others from the Virginia Army National Guard and 1,200 airmen from the Virginia Air National Guard who have recently or are currently serving on active duty across the United States and around the world.
The current duty stations for some of these soldiers include locations as far away as the Balkans, Kuwait, Cuba and Southwest Asia.
There are seven soldiers from the Manassas armory in the Virginia Army National Guard Data Processing United on duty in Kuwait in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Other guard members are serving closer to home, such as the Military District of Washington, D.C.; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; and Davidson Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir.
“This mobilization is in support of the United States&$039; homeland security response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,” Carter said.
Staff writer Aileen Streng can be reached at (703) 878-8010.