Posted on 01/29/2011 8:14:10 AM PST by KeyLargo
Illinois National Guard soldiers deployed far from Egyptian unrest
By JOHN REYNOLDS (john.reynolds@sj-r.com) THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER Posted Jan 28, 2011 @ 11:30 PM
The 440 Illinois National Guard soldiers on a yearlong peace-keeping mission in Egypt have not been seriously affected by rioting in Cairo.
The group, which includes about 20 soldiers from the Springfield, isn’t able to use commercial communication methods, which the Egyptian government has shut down, but Guard officials said Friday they have been in contact with the soldiers.
The soldiers, who are stationed in the Sinai near the Egypt/Israeli border, have not been targeted during the riots and are hundreds of miles from the unrest.
“The Illinois National Guard Soldiers stationed in the Sinai are professional, highly trained and able to respond to a variety of incidents,” a press release from the Guard said. “If the situation in Egypt changes, the Multinational Force and Observers or the Illinois Army National Guard is capable of taking appropriate measures to safeguard American troops.”
The Illinois Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery Regiment deployed to Egypt in May. It is part of an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.
Since the soldiers aren’t able to communicate with family members through commercial carriers, Guard officials have been sharing information with family readiness groups, which then pass the information on to families of the deployed soldiers.
“Military communication channels between the (soldiers) and the Illinois National Guard are still open and are being used to keep the families abreast of the situation,” the release said.
U.S. and international troops have been conducting peace-keeping missions in the area since the treaty was signed.
The 2nd Battalion, 123rd Field Artillery Regiment includes units from Milan, Macomb and Galesburg. Soldiers from throughout the state belong to those units.
About 20 members of the Springfield-based 233rd Military Police Company also deployed with the peacekeeping force. Not all of the 233rd soldiers who deployed are from the Springfield area.
The Illinois National Guard soldiers are scheduled to return home in May.
John Reynolds can be reached at 788-1524.
God bless and protect our soldiers. In Jesus name, Amen.
they should be in arizona, on the border.
Be interesting to see what the MFO does in the coming days/weeks.
I didn’t know we even had local boys over in Egypt.
WTF! Bring them home. We have military in about 100 countries. Bring them HOME!
This is probably one of the hidden costs of the Camp David agreement; money to both sides, and peacekeepers in the middle.
I hope the military does not play politically correct with their lives over there. Obama supports the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
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