BOISE, Idaho — The first of about 1,500 troops with the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team have left training in Camp Shelby, Miss., for their deployment to Iraq. The four-day departures began Sunday.
Col. Tim Marsano says the first troops are scheduled to arrive in Kuwait on Monday and will be placed at their stations in Iraq later this month.
The 116th will focus on convoy security, military installation security and providing logistical support for military and civilian-agency delegations traveling to the country.
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Citizen soldiers and command staff with the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team must test their skills, computers and communication equipment to make sure all is battle ready before deploying to Iraq later this year. While soldiers ware put through their paces at the Orchard training area this week, command staff and others operate from a series of modular "DRASH" brand tents that have sprung up around Boise's Gowen Field. |
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Members of the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team gather for a briefing on the status of computer and communication systems needed for battle training this week at Gowen Field in Boise. The Brigade is training in conditions that mimic those soldiers and commanders will see later this year in Iraq, minus the sand and heat. |
