By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Around three dozen members of the Kentucky National Guard’s newest unit were honored by family and friends before deploying to Afghanistan for a year-long tour.
Guard leadership gave 35 soldiers of the Main Command Post-Operational Detachment (MC-POD) of the 101st Airborne Division a hearty departure.
The Louisville-based unit will integrate into the 101st Airborne Division to meet the needs of the command on the upcoming deployment. Kentucky soldiers play key roles in the combat readiness of the 101st, providing headquarters elements with additional manpower in areas such as intelligence, operations and logistics.
“National Guardsmen make up 39 percent of the operational force,“ said Brig. Gen. Scott Campbell, Kentucky’s assistant adjutant general. “In this day and age, we must rely heavily on one other to meet the demands in such a complex global environment.”
This is the first deployment for the newly formed 101st MCP-OD as part of the Division’s “multi-component unit design.” MC-PODs provide increased flexibility for the division headquarters Main Command Post by increasing its capability to conduct several missions simultaneously.
“To say this is a typical deployment would be an understatement,” said Lt. Col. Tom Roach, commander of the 101st MCP-OD. “This unit didn’t exist a year ago, not only is it new to Kentucky, it’s new to the Army’s force structure. I’ve told each soldier, ‘work together, support each other and do your best because you are professionals, anything less would be unprofessional.’”
Soldiers of the unit have spent the last several months training side-by-side with the 101st, fostering a cohesive partnership prior to deploying. Kentucky’s unit is one of 13 MCP-ODs created in National Guard units across the country and associated with Active Duty Army commands.
“This unit is a testament of the increased responsibility of the Kentucky National Guard and our ability to answer the call to defend our country,” said Campbell.
