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Lake Wales Says Goodbye To Iraq-Bound Army Reservists

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These members of the Florida National Guard's 356th Quartermaster Battalion are heading to Iraq on Tuesday.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 16, 2008

LAKE WALES - The community of Lake Wales said farewell to the 140 members of its National Guard unit today before the company heads out at 7 a.m. Tuesday for a year's deployment in Iraq.

At a ceremony in the auditorium of Polk Community College, elected officials and residents honored the local contingent of the Florida National Guard's 356th Quartermaster Battalion.

In the afternoon, the troops were released to spend a night with their families before heading to Fort Hood in Texas, said Jon Myatt, spokesman for the Florida Department of Military Affairs.

This is the first deployment to Iraq for the full unit, though it was one of the first deployed for Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Also, more than half the unit has combat experience in other theaters, Myatt said.

The troops will train and equip for about three weeks in Texas before heading to Iraq. That will include combat training.

The company provides support, logistics and supplies for troops. It's a quartermaster company that traditionally stayed behind the lines, but the nature of combat in Iraq means there are no traditional lines, Myatt said.

"It's been 40 years since we had a war with front lines. There's a potential threat everywhere," he said.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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