World Tribune.com

U.S. sends National Guard units to Gulf for first time

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, January 29, 2001

WASHINGTON — The United States is sending National Guard units to protect Arab allies in the Gulf.

Officials said this is the first time National Guard units will be deployed in the region. Over the last decade, individual National Guard members have been sent to bolster U.S. Army troops.

The first National Guard unit to have been deployed was that from Alabama 1st Battalion, 203rd Air Defense Artillery. The Patriot anti-aircraft battery with the unit was deployed earlier this month with soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, 35th ADA Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas.

The unit consists of 80 soldiers. They are joining a rotation of nine air defense battalions in the Gulf, a development which began a decade ago amid the 1991 war against Iraq.

Officials said the task force normally is divided between both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Monday, January 29, 2001



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