{"id":316042,"date":"2024-10-30T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=316042"},"modified":"2024-11-02T16:27:39","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T16:27:39","slug":"south-carolina-army-guard-air-defenders-deploying-to-centcom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=316042","title":{"rendered":"South Carolina Army Guard Air Defenders Deploying to CENTCOM"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 263rd Air Defense Artillery, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, South Carolina Army National Guard, attended a deployment departure ceremony Oct. 19, 2024, at the Easley Readiness Center, Easley, South Carolina. This unit is preparing to deploy to support Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. Ed Duvall)
\n (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Tim Andrews)<\/span>
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EASLEY, S.C. – A departure ceremony was held Oct. 19 for South Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers deploying to support Operation Inherent Resolve in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.<\/p>\n

The Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 263rd Air Defense Artillery Battalion, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, will provide air defense in theater in a deployment that is the first of its kind for this unit. Operation Inherent Resolve\u2019s Mission is to defeat ISIS in the Combined Joint Operations Area to enable whole-of-coalition governmental actions to increase regional stability.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing the first of anything is a really fascinating experience. This unit has been the first for the National Capital Region mission,\u201d said U.S. Army Capt. Christopher Campion, commander, Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 263rd ADA. \u201cTo be able to go over to CENTCOM for this unit for the first time, it means a great deal to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Friends and family members attended the ceremony to show their support as the Soldiers prepared to embark on their mission.<\/p>\n

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. R. Van McCarty, the adjutant general for South Carolina, said the Soldiers were ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Guard has been busy, and they have been deployed for an ongoing basis since 9\/11 to do the things that we ask of our state and the nation of our Soldiers, your Soldier, your loved ones,\u201d said McCarty. \u201cToday is not an easy day folks. I have been to many sendoff ceremonies since 9\/11, but I\u2019ll say this: I have talked to Maj. Gen. Frank Rice, commander of the 263rd AAMDC, his deputy Brig. Gen. Richard A. Wholey Jr. I\u2019ve talked to Col. Ridgeway. I\u2019ve talked to a number of the leadership within our air defense community. Your Soldiers, your loved ones, they are trained and ready for this mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Army Col. David Ridgeway, commander, 678th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that you are the subject matter experts, and you\u2019re the best in the Army in air defense,\u201d said Ridgeway.<\/p>\n

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Micah Shipe, commander, 2nd Battalion, 263rd ADA Battalion, applauded the dedication of Battery B.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really can\u2019t say enough about the training that these Soldiers have been through over the past year and what I have seen these Soldiers do,\u201d said Shipe. \u201cI\u2019ve been looking forward to this day, and I\u2019m looking forward to the day that I get to see you get off the plane and come back to this community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sgt. Caleb Wagner, an Avenger crewmember assigned to B Battery, 2-263rd ADA Battalion, said he looks forward to the mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my second deployment, but this is my first time to the CENTCOM area,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cI feel great going on this deployment. We\u2019ve got a good group of Soldiers who love their families, and we\u2019re going to go over there and do great things.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Soldiers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 263rd Air Defense Artillery, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, South Carolina Army National Guard, attended a deployment departure ceremony Oct. 19, 2024, at the Easley Readiness Center, Easley, South Carolina. This unit is preparing to deploy to support Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":316044,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-316042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=316042"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":316045,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/316042\/revisions\/316045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/316044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=316042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=316042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=316042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}