Some members of a huge National Guard unit made up of Ohio and Michigan troops will not be going to Afghanistan as planned.
The 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, made up of about 2,100 troops from Ohio and 1,400 from Michigan, had been deployed to serve in Afghanistan, but the Department of Defense said some of the soldiers instead will serve in Bahrain because of “reduced requirements in Afghanistan.”
James Sims, communications director for the Ohio National Guard, said the Army has decided 700 of the troops of the 37th either will be moved to other assignments in Afghanistan, serve instead in Bahrain, remain at Fort Shelby, Miss., or have volunteered to come home.
The units in the 37th still will have the mission of guarding U.S. forces and facilities in both Mideast countries, the Defense Department said.
A medical unit that trains at the National Guard facility armory on North Hawkins Avenue in Akron, Company C, 237th Support Battalion, made up of 72 soldiers, and Company G, 237th BSB out of Medina, made up of 88 soldiers, were part of the original deployment.
“All of the re-missioned 37th Soldiers will be serving in various security force assignments guarding U.S. forces and facilities in both Afghanistan and Bahrain,” a news release from the government said.
“The Department of Defense understands that members of the National Guard make major commitments when they are mobilized, often leaving jobs and school, terminating leases, and moving families in advance of deployment,” the release said.
“Employers, schools and families must make plans months in advance for deployments that routinely last longer than a year. Whenever possible we will find suitable alternate missions for mobilized units affected by changing requirements.”
Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 700,000 National Guard troops have been deployed stateside and overseas, the Defense Department said. About 26,000 National Guard troops are serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Sims said about 31 Ohio guardsmen have volunteered to not be deployed and will be coming home.
He also said one unit out of Springfield and another in Piqua are being reassigned to other locations within Afghanistan. A second Springfield unit will be going to Bahrain.
Sims said some members of the 37th will not go overseas immediately but will stay back at Fort Shelby, where Ohio Guard members have been in training for the deployment.
He said some of those troops will be used to train incoming units prior to deployment and some could be used to fill in spots as needed for overseas assignments.
The majority of the troops being deployed overseas are expected to arrive in Afghanistan early next month.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or at jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.