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Lake Wales Bids Farewell To Iraq-Bound Army Reservists

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By NEIL JOHNSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 17, 2008

The community of Lake Wales said farewell to the 140 members of its National Guard unit Monday before the company heads out at 7 a.m. today 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.

The troops were released to spend Monday night with their families before heading to Fort Hood, 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, including combat, and equip for about three weeks in Texas before heading to Iraq.

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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