About 600 Nevada Guardsmen set for 18-month deployment

Jace Radke

Thursday, July 22, 2004 | 9:23 a.m.

About 600 Nevada Army National Guardsmen are gearing up for an 18-month deployment at Fort Irwin, Calif., where they will help train active-duty soldiers in desert warfare.

The Las Vegas-based 221st Cavalry Squadron is scheduled to head to Fort Irwin, outside of Barstow, Calif., on Aug. 16.

The 221st is based at the Clark County Armory near Nellis Air Force Base, and specializes in driving M1A1 Abrams tanks. The unit will serve as opposing forces in combat training at Fort Irwin filling in for the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment, which has been called to duty overseas.

The 221st, made up of soldiers from Southern Nevada as well as Fallon and Yerington, will be deployed as part of the homeland security-based Operation Noble Eagle, National Guard officials said.

The unit has more than 50 M1A1 Abrams tanks that it will use in its training mission.

With the mobilization of the 221st about half of the 2,000 soldiers in the Nevada Army National Guard will be on active duty by this fall.

In addition to the 221st, about 175 soldiers with the Henderson-based 1864th Transportation Co. are scheduled to deploy to Fort Lewis, Wash., in mid-August before moving on to Southwest Asia as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 1864th's mission is to drive tractor-trailers full of ammunition, equipment and other supplies. While the company's destination was not released by military officials, transport trucks are being used throughout Iraq.

The deployment of the 1864th could also affect soldiers with the Army Guard's 593rd Transportation Co. in Reno, Winnemucca and Elko. Soldiers from the 593rd could be called to augment the 1864th for the mission, military officials said.

The Reno-based 321st Signal Co., currently has deployed about 100 soldiers to Kuwait. There are also about 70 soldiers with the 221st that are assisting in providing security at Nellis Air Force Base and the Air National Guard Base in Reno.