Nevada sending 130 more troops overseas

Jace Radke

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 | 9:30 a.m.

As many as 130 soldiers stationed in Nevada have been ordered to duty from Nellis Air Force Base and a Henderson National Guard unit.

About 80 members of Nellis' 757th Maintenance Squadron and the 58th and 66th Rescue Squadrons will soon leave Nellis for Southwest Asia, officials announced Tuesday. Southwest Asia is the area in and surrounding Afghanistan.

The rescue squadrons provide combat search-and-rescue support to air forces. The 58th is comprised of para-rescue troops who are combat paramedics, scuba divers, parchutists and mountain climbers. The 66th conducts flight operations associated with HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crews, while the maintenance squadron ensures that the helicopters stay in the air.

The squadron members were initially set to leave Tuesday night but a mechanical problem with one of their two C-5 Galaxies delayed the departure, base officials said.

The activation brings the number of Nellis personnel deployed around the world to more than 1,000.

About 50 Nevada Army National Guard soldiers with the Henderson-based 777th Engineer Utilities Team are expected to be deployed to an unknown location within the next two weeks.

The Guard forces have received mobilization orders in support of Operation Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, said Guard spokeswoman April Conway.

"We don't have a specific location they are being sent to yet," Conway said. "We don't know if they are being sent to Southwest Asia or if they are going to backfill for a unit stationed in the United States."

The team is made up of support personnel including plumbers, electricians and engineers.

Four Nevada Army Guard units, totaling more than 400 soldiers, have been deployed. About 180 of the Guard soldiers are now serving overseas.

The 221st Calvary is performing security operations in Nevada, while the 69th Press Camp Headquarters, 126th Medical Company and 72nd Military Police are deployed to Southwest Asia.