By Kari Petrie \/ St. Cloud Times<\/p>\n
With their training done, 550 Minnesota National Guard soldiers are waiting to go to Iraq where they\u2019ll provide convoy security.<\/p>\n
The members of the 1st Battalion, 151st Field Artillery are ready for their yearlong deployment to Iraq. Their commander, Lt. Col. Scott St. Sauver of Pierz, spoke to reporters Friday during a teleconference and outlined the unit\u2019s plans. The battalion will be in Iraq next month.<\/p>\n
The soldiers will be providing convoy security throughout Iraq, bringing supplies to other bases and helping to remove equipment from Iraq as part of the reduction in U.S. forces there. The 151st will be stationed in Kuwait but will travel across Iraq on missions.<\/p>\n
The unit is made up of groups from Montevideo, Appleton, Marshall, Madison, Olivia, Morris and Ortonville. Ten soldiers are from St. Cloud and six are from Little Falls.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s deployment coincides with what St. Sauver calls the United States\u2019 \u201cdrawdown\u201d from Iraq. On Tuesday the United States will pull back from major Iraqi cities as part of an agreement to be out of Iraq by 2011.<\/p>\n
St. Sauver said he doesn\u2019t anticipate the drawdown affecting security and safety for his troops. They have trained well and have equipment to keep them safe, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a good platform for running missions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This is the first deployment for 85 percent of the soldiers, but the others are returning for second, third and, in two cases, a fourth time. St. Sauver said those returning members will provide important experience to the group.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey understand the situation better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The average soldier is 28. St. Sauver said he\u2019s confident in them.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone knows their job,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
One of the toughest parts of deployments is the wear and tear it takes on families, he said. But soldiers will be living on base and will be able to communicate via e-mail and telephone.<\/p>\n
On Thursday night soldiers had just returned from a four-day pass to spend with their families.<\/p>\n
St. Sauver said it\u2019s important that Minnesotans remember those serving abroad.<\/p>\n
\u201cCommunity support is vitally important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n