READY FOR ANOTHER DEPLOYMENT?

Just the other day, I received an email of another potential deployment for our family. This time it would be our middle son, Jonathan, that would be seeing some other part of the world.  Let's see.......Am I ready for this?  Probably not.  At least not today.  But fortunately, we have some time.  Seems like there are words to the effect that a solider has to be notified one year in advance before being deployed.   And that's good news.  Maybe I can begin to prepare........somewhat.

I thought you might like to see what a letter or notice of such says.  I will say, we don't know for sure if Jonathan will be going.  But more than likely he will, it just depends when.

Deployment seems like a never-ending Mission  

Message from the Commander

Families and friends of the 186th MP CO

From the Commander:

I trust that this communication finds you and your families in success and good health.  I recently attended the NOS + 60 conference, which stands for the Notification of Sourcing + 60 days.  Our unit was given our notification 60 days ago and now at this point the Army is giving the unit more information about what our unit will potentially be doing.  I say potentially because as always everything is subject to change but this is the best information we have at this point.

The 186th has been asked to provided 49 soldiers ready to deploy in November 2012 to support JTF-Bravo - with a Mobilization station of Ft. Bliss TX.  This will be as all deployments have been roughly 9 months on the ground with train up time a total of 12 months.  The 186th will also provide a 49 soldiers ready to deploy in July of 2013 as the replacements for the first 49 soldiers.  They will also mobilize out of
Ft. Bliss TX for the same length of time as the first rotation.  The Mission will be to provide force protection to the US Military Base in Honduras, which consists of an airfield as well as cantonment area.  Some
missions may involve leaving this base while aircraft conduct humanitarian missions such as delivering food or assisting with natural disasters. 

I think it is worth pointing out that the full time staff with my guidance has been preparing and planning for our upcoming training anticipating this type of mission, we should consider ourselves fortunate that we have many of the tools at home station to prepare the soldiers who will go forward to compete this mission.  We will not send one solider forward who is not fully trained and capable of completing the mission- I give you my word that I will personally give the final approval to each and every soldier who deploys. 

Over the next few months more information will come available and details will be added to the plan - I will continue to provide you families all of the answers that I can.  As always I encourage you to contact me if you have any specific questions I may answer for you.  This is the first of many steps we will take together on this journey from this point until every member of the 186th family is home.  I am honored and humbled by the sacrifices of soldiers every day, more so the sacrifices the family members make for this country and our freedom.  I offer my thanks, in hopes that it serves sufficient recompense for your service. 

John H. Mineart
MP  IAARNG
Commanding

I believe the Commander did a very good job in detailing what's going on now and what lies ahead. There will be many sleepless nights and days of worry headed into next November. 

 As we prepare for Thanksgiving Day, I have to show my appreciation for the 2,800 Iowa Soldiers who recently returned from Afghanistan.  My oldest son, Kris, was one of them.  They did a superb job in performing their mission duties.  One year ago, those soldiers weren't at the family dinner table.  None of us have to go through their absence in 2011.  But next year, we'll be back at it again.  Not another 2,800, but far too many.  

Corinthians 2:9 might say it best what I've discerned today. But, as it is written,"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived,what God has prepared for those who love him"--

YGG,

John