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By Ryan Smith, Meadville Tribune
Meadville’s railroad yard became a mile-long stretch of heavy metal Wednesday.
More than 260 pieces of mobile military equipment — including about 70 cutting-edge Stryker combat vehicles — were moved to a staging area at the yard as Northwest Pennsylvania National Guard troops, including about 100 soldiers from Crawford County, continued preparing to ship out for training and eventual overseas deployment.
“This is the largest (ever) movement of military vehicles in northwestern Pennsylvania,” Capt. John Boyko, Erie-based 1-112 IN(SBCT) Battalion’s logistics officer, said Wednesday.
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
INDIANTOWN GAP — More than 500 National Guardsmen from the 56th Stryker Brigade are at Fort Indiantown Gap participating in a weeklong exercise that is the largest and, according to the brigade’s commander, the most significant since the brigade converted to a Stryker brigade three years ago.
Known as “Warfighter,” the exercise brings together the brigade’s headquarters and members of the various units within the brigade as well as about 70 civilian contractors who would deploy with the brigade.
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
As many as 6,000 Pennsylvania National Guardsmen could be deployed to Iraq at the same time next year.
The 2,000-member 28th Combat Aviation Brigade received an alert order late last year for a possible one-year deployment to Iraq, according to Capt. Cory Angell, a National Guard spokesman.
The aviation brigade received the alert order shortly after the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team received a similar order in late October.
“We anticipate the Stryker brigade will go at the end of the year, and then a few months after that, we anticipate the aviation brigade will go,” Angell said.
Standing at the end of a double line of parked Stryker combat vehicles at the National Guard armory in Phoenixville, Capt. Anthony Passero watched the road. Four more of the green, eight-wheeled, 19-ton Strykers had just arrived from Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.
"Winter is coming, and we're going to be called up for state missions," Passero said. "There's snow here, there's a flood here.'. . . When the governor sees a state of emergency, he calls the 56th Stryker Brigade."
But the roughly 4,000 soldiers of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 28th Division 56th Stryker Brigade - including the 150 soldiers of Passero's Bravo Company, 1st battalion, 111th infantry, who operate out of the West Chester and Phoenixville armories - are equipping themselves for more than just snow.
Mike Gilbert of The News Tribune has a nice summary of where each Stryker Brigade is right now (deployed/dwelling), and when each might be called on again to head overseas.
Thanks to Joe for the following link.
Nearly 4,000 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers are being notified today that they can expect to be sent to Iraq in about a year.
The soldiers are members of the 56th Stryker Brigade, which is headquartered in Northeast Philadelphia and is scattered among 39 armories across the state.
The Defense Department has yet to make the alert public. The troops are being individually notified via a phone chain, state Guard officials said.
The brigade is equipped with the Army's relatively new Stryker combat vehicle, an armored troop carrier that can move at highway speeds on wheels but has some of the defensive strength of a small tank.
[...]
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
INDIANTOWN GAP — Pennsylvania’s Stryker brigade has taken another step toward becoming a fully functional military unit.
About 350 soldiers from the National Guard’s 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team took part in a command-post exercise over the weekend at Fort Indiantown Gap. It was the largest exercise undertaken by the brigade since it was converted to a Stryker brigade in October 2005, according to Maj. Eric Zimmerman, the brigade’s operations officer.
By Kay Stephens, Altoona Mirror
The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs plans to build an armory near North Juniata Street where soldiers will train on the mechanics of the Army’s newest troop-carrying vehicle.
The new building will replace the Frankstown Armory and provide space to accommodate the 19-ton, eight-wheeled Stryker, a military combat vehicle that’s been described as “a Humvee on steroids.” Stryker training at the new facility will be limited to the vehicle’s state-of-the-art computer system and related mechanics.
By CPT Cory Angell, Pennsylvania National Guard
6/25/07, PA—As the hot summer sun beats down on an open range at Fort Indiantown Gap, SPC Krystal Ginter squeezes the trigger and puts her mark in the history books.
SPC Ginter of Lancaster PA, became the first female in the U.S. Army to graduate the Squad Designated Marksman Course. She graduated June 16 along with 18 others at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA.
By P.J. REILLY, Staff, Intelligencer Journal
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - A dust cloud swirled as the supply convoy made its way down an isolated road Thursday.
When a Humvee carrying four soldiers from the Lancaster-based Headquarters Company of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 328th Brigade Support Battalion passed by a seemingly harmless mound of leaves, an explosion erupted from the earth.
White smoke billowed across the road, and the convoy screeched to a halt.
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
When the Army announced its latest round of troop rotations for Iraq earlier this month, the writing was scribbled on the wall for many Pennsylvania National Guardsmen.
Of the 10 brigades slated for deployment by the end of this year, two are Stryker brigades — the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck, Germany, and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
The 2nd Stryker Cavalry is making its second deployment to Iraq since it became operational as a Stryker brigade four years ago.
But of more interest to Pennsylvania troops is the deployment of 2nd Brigade of the 25th Infantry. That brigade is the fifth of seven planned Stryker brigades throughout the Army, and it just became operational this year.
Earl Corp, The Meadville Tribune
CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS — Usually when talking to a soldier about a piece of Army equipment, there will be a list of ways to improve it as far as “the boots on the ground” are concerned.
But when Spec. Kirk Hinz of Erie was asked to comment on the Stryker Fighting Vehicle on Friday afternoon at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cambridge Springs Readiness Center and Field Maintenance Shop, he had nothing but praise.
“It’s held up to what’s expected so far — and it’s getting better,” he said.
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA- Charlie Troop C, 2nd 104th Calvary Division from Chambersburg has a new military machine.
First, the soldiers were on the firing range learning about new weaponry, and then later, they took to the classroom to bone up on the high tech aspect of their new equipment. They have taken that experience and are applying it out in the field and are actually mounting up and going places they have never gone before.
The eight wheel drive vehicle is allowing them to traverse anything from waist deep mud to sandy deserts, which is crucial to their missions.
“We're recon, so it gives us flexibility, and it's a quieter vehicle, can go through a lot more terrain than other vehicles can go,” said Lieutenant Ian Preece of Charlie Troop C.
Link to Full Article
By BRAD RHEN, Lebanon Daily News
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP The Armys new Stryker vehicles have arrived.
Twenty-one of the vehicles are now at the Gap, where they are being fitted with cutting-edge communications equipment and are being used to train National Guard soldiers.
Link to Full Article
PR Newswire
HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives of Governor Edward G. Rendell and the Pennsylvania National Guard today urged federal lawmakers in Washington D.C. to support a continued, significant, military presence at Willow Grove through the guard's proposed future-use plan.
The key to Willow Grove's future as a military installation is maintaining the airfield. The plan creates a robust military presence with more than 3,700 personnel, including the addition of more than 1,000 Army National Guard soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade. [....]
Link to Full Article
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA A National Guard unit from Philadelphia is back home from a month-long hurricane relief mission in Louisiana.
The unit arrived by bus this morning at the armory in Northeast Philadelphia.
Members of the 56th Stryker Brigade were happy to be home, but also were happy to have helped some desperate fellow Americans.
Captain John Cannon says the unit set up distribution points in various towns around New Orleans. Each day they handed out meals ready-to-eat, ice, and water, infant care products, baby food, diapers, formula and "things of that nature." [...]
Link to Full Article
BY MEGAN WALDE, The Patriot-News
Members of the Pennsylvania Army Na tional Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade have been in Louisiana for a little over a month helping with relief efforts after hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused widespread destruction in communities from Texas to Alabama.
For most of the mission, they worked at food distribution points in hard-hit communities around New Orleans. They handed out food, water and ice, secured distribution centers and warehouses, and escorted commercial haulers. [...]
Link to Full Article
BY MEGAN WALDE, The Patriot-News
It has been two weeks since the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade began its plodding way south to Louisiana, and the troops finally have hit a comfortable routine in the relief effort.
Operating from bases in Alexandria, Hammond and Belle Chasse, La., the brigade's six battalions have taken over the food distribution network around New Orleans. Units operate 10 distribution centers, giving residents MREs, water and ice at each location and receiving thanks, homemade food and Mardi Gras beads in return. [...]
Link to Full Article
BY MEGAN WALDE,The Patriot-News
HAMMOND, La. - The Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade has a mission, but it hasn't moved very far forward since it got its orders Thursday night.
That should change in the next 24 hours, as more military units head to food distribution points around New Orleans, brigade officials said last night. [...]
Link to Full Article
By MEGAN WALDE, The Patriot-News
Col. Joel Wierenga gave the word last night.
The commander of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade announced at an evening briefing that the brigade was to begin moving south this morning to Hammond, La., in Tangipahoa Parish, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans.
Link to Full Article
By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
ALEXANDRIA, La. -- Frustration set in among 2,300 Pennsylvania Army National Guard troops yesterday as they spent another day far from New Orleans, doing essentially nothing to aid hurricane victims.
Link to Full Article
By Timothy McNulty, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
LONDON, Ky. -- Forty-two soldiers lugged body armor, rifles and water onto a charter bus outside Butler yesterday, following the hard path south of thousands of other troops going to the hurricane disaster area.
Link to Full Article
PR NewsWire
HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today mobilized 2,500 Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard members to support hurricane disaster relief efforts along the Gulf coast. Pennsylvania National Guard personnel will begin arriving in the region over the weekend. The mission is expected to last at least 30 days. This is the largest state activation of Pennsylvania National Guard troops since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. [...]
Link to Full Article
By Julian Nettlefold
Recognizing the urgent need to control the jungles of spaghetti in heavily wired modern command posts, the Army is moving ahead with the Command Post Platform (CPP) development and integration program. Valued at up to $400 million over the next five years, the award to prime contractor Northrop Grumman includes an initial $26 million contract for the design and construction of 10 prototype command posts.
Link to Full Article
BY AL WINN, The Patriot-News
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP - Officials at other Pennsylvania military bases might worry their posts will be closed in the next round of base closures.
But Fort Indiantown Gap officials said that $1.5 billion in federal money for new National Guard facilities and equipment that is coming to Pennsylvania will help protect the Gap.
Link to Full Article
By Lisa Burgess, Stars and Stripes
ARLINGTON, Va. The Army largely will stand fast while Defense Department reviews take place in 2005, but one area they will attack is force protection.
Link to Full Article
By BONNIE ADAMS; Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE - Four National Guard recruiters will be added to recruiting teams in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to help the state make the goals it previously missed by 669 new recruits.
The state's shortfall has mirrored the national trend in which recruiting fell short last year by 7,000 enlistees.
This article mentions the 56th SBCT, the only National Guard unit to convert to a Stryker Brigade. Although the article implies the 56th already has the Stryker vehicle, I have to admit that I don't know if that's the case. Anyone?
Link to Full Article
By Dawn House, The Salt Lake Tribune
About 500 Utah soldiers in the 222nd Field Artillery Battalion have been placed on alert for possible deployment in January with one of the nation's six newly formed combat brigades. The brigades are more mobile than the Army's traditional heavy-tank fighting forces. [...]
The Triple Deuce is likely to be attached to the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, one of the new Brigade Combat Teams unveiled by the Army in October 1999. Five units have been formed from regular Army active-duty troops. The Pennsylvania brigade is the only combat team comprising citizen-soldiers.
There is some information here regarding the 56th SBCT, which is part of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 28th Infantry Division. It is one of the six Stryker Brigades planned.
[Link to Full Article]
Carol Cummings, Sentinel reporter
BURNHAM He sat in the last seat at the table and listened to conversations around him. In his pressed plaid shirt and suspenders, ball cap carefully laid to the side, Richard Druckenmiller of McClure could be anybodys grandfather.
As a veteran of both World War II and the Korean Conflict, Druckenmiller also could have been one of the U.S. militarys casualties of war.
But, he is one of the lucky ones.
[Link to Full Article]
By LES STEWART
FORT INDIANTOWN GAP -- With some of its units formed during the Revolutionary War, the Pennsylvania Army National Guard's 56th Brigade, 28th Infantry Division yesterday officially became part of the nation's military future.
During ceremonies that formally recognized formation of a new unit, the 56th Brigade became the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.
"We unveil today's future for the Army," said Maj. Gen. Jessica L. Wright, adjutant general of the Pennsylvania National Guard.