CHARLESTON, W.Va. — About 150 soldiers with the West Virginia Army National Guard who are currently deployed in Kuwait will be coming home as early as January.
Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, the state’s adjutant general, recently returned from visiting the members of the 821st Engineer Company, based in Summersville.
During their deployment, he said the Guard members have not been working in Kuwait alone.
“They range from Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, throughout the theater, and they’re doing an exceptional job,” Maj. Gen. Hoyer said on Tuesday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
“We’re continuing to stay busy and churn our military mission on a regular basis.”
General Jim Hoyer talks with @HoppyKercheval about his visit to Kuwait and National Guard activity. WATCH: https://t.co/wkudfIAoe1 pic.twitter.com/KOH97S15Kn
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) September 17, 2019
With one group preparing for homecomings, more West Virginians are already en route to the Middle East.
Training in Fort Bliss, Texas has been the first stop for more than 500 members of the 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment.
Once in Kuwait, they’ll join the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
In all, the 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team consists of 4,200 National Guard soldiers from North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio along with West Virginia.
“By February of next year, we could have as many as 1,500 (West Virginia) Guardsmen deployed throughout the world,” Hoyer said.
Included in that number was a Special Forces company currently deployed to Eastern Europe.