Mount Olive Armory to close
By Staff Reports
Published in News on August 7, 2017 5:50 AM
The North Carolina Army National Guard armory on Witherington Street will be closed within the next six to nine months and transferred to the State Property Office for final disposal.
As part of a nationwide U.S. Army and National Guard force reduction/reorganization plan, the North Carolina Army National Guard deactivated the 1132nd Military Police Co., at its headquarters in Rocky Mount, on Sunday, Aug. 6.
The 1132nd maintained armories in Mount Olive, Tarboro and Rocky Mount. All three will close.
The deactivation of the 1132nd has been planned for over a year. Approximately 150 soldiers are assigned to the unit.
"The 1132nd's deactivation will not end our commitment to serving the state in times of need and disaster," said Brig. Gen. John Byrd, the North Carolina Army National Guard assistant adjutant general for domestic operations.
Virtually every soldier in the 1132nd has been reassigned to other North Carolina Army National Guard military police units, decided to reclassify to other job specialties in the Guard, transferred to active duty or the reserves or retired.
The 1132nd was established in December 2002.
The unit deployed to Iraq on Dec. 12, 2007, and worked with the Iraqi Police Service, providing training and oversight of police operations in southeast Baghdad.
Tragically, the complex and dangerous nature of the mission led to five soldiers losing their lives in service to their country and over 20 wounded in action, before the 1132nd's combat tour ended in the fall of 2008.
The 1132nd supported multiple state emergencies since its origin, to include last year's Charlotte riots and Hurricane Matthew.