National Guard units tapped for duty
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on December 8, 2008 1:46 PM
More than four years ago, members of the 230th Brigade Support Battalion were working hand-in-hand with the Army's 1st Infantry Division in Iraq.
In a few months -- without a major development at home or abroad -- they are going back to the desert.
The Goldsboro-based National Guard unit was among those listed on a Department of Defense activation list released Dec. 3 -- a little more than a year after battalion officials were warned about a potential 2009 tour.
At the time of the "alert" in November 2007, 400 to 500 troops were expected to deploy.
The same number is expected at a weekend celebration at the Dillard-Goldsboro Alumni Center.
The Dec. 14 event, to be hosted by the Wayne County government, Goldsboro's Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the Dillard-Goldsboro Alumni, is an early send-off for members of the 230th.
Soldiers, family members, legislators and local officials will likely be on hand for the celebration.
The 230th is an asset of the 30th Brigade Combat Team, which has more than 4,000 members state-wide. The 30th also includes a unit in West Virginia.
Activation of the unit brings the number of National Guard and Reserve personel who have been activated to more than 121,000.
The 30th, headquartered in Clinton, is the largest brigade in the North Carolina Army National Guard. The brigade has three maneuver battalions, two infantry and one armor.
The brigade also has a field artillery battalion, an engineer battalion, a support battalion, a cavalry troop, a military intelligence company, an air defense battery and a brigade headquarters and headquarters company. The brigade is one of 15 designated enhanced brigades with the mission of mobilizing and deploying for combat within 90 days notice.