PEMBROKE, N.H. –
A deployment ceremony for a New Hampshire Army National Guard task force was held Tuesday, Sept. 29, at the Edward Cross Training Center in Pembroke.
Task Force West Sentinels, a headquarters element comprising 45 soldiers from the 3643d Brigade Support Battalion, are deploying for a year in support of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) mission along the Southwest border. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command and its forward operational command, U.S. Army North, the 3643d BSB’s mission will be to assist CBP by providing detection and monitoring support along with rotational support.
“They will be the eyes and ears for Customs and Border Protection,” said N.H. Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities. “The men and women of the task force have been preparing for this mission for the past year. They are well led and well trained. They are ready.”
The task force, led by Lt. Col. Ken Kruger, will be based in southern California and provide command and control for four companies and a detachment totaling more than 500 Army National Guardsmen from four states including Indiana, Kentucky, New York and Utah. The task force will report first to Fort Bliss, Texas for additional training.