GUARDSMEN HEADED FOR IRAQ LOCAL COMPANY SETS FORT LEWIS STOP ALONG WAY.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer PALMDALE - Local National Guardsmen have packed up their gear and are waiting to ship out after Thanksgiving Thanksgiving annual U.S. holiday celebrating harvest and yearly blessings; originated with Pilgrims (1621). [Am. Culture: EB, IX: 922] See : America Thanksgiving national holiday with luxurious dinner as chief ritual. [Am. Pop. on their way to Iraq. After a week of practice on weapons simulators and other preparation at the Palmdale Armory, Company B of the 185th Armor Regiment's 1st Battalion battalion Tactical military organization composed of a headquarters and two or more companies, batteries, or similar units and usually commanded by a field-grade officer such as a lieutenant colonel. on Friday will head to Fort Lewis in Washington state for more training specifically on what its duties will be. ``It's what you train for,'' company commander Capt. Jim Westerfield said of being mobilized for active duty with the prospect of combat. ``We've got good people, great equipment and a lot of training. We are well-prepared and it's an honor As a verb, to accept a bill of exchange, or to pay a note, check, or accepted bill, at maturity. To pay or to accept and pay, or, where a credit so engages, to purchase or discount a draft complying with the terms of the draft. to be able to serve your country and these guys know how important that is.'' The unit, which is part of the first California California (kăl'ĭfôr`nyə), most populous state in the United States, located in the Far West; bordered by Oregon (N), Nevada and, across the Colorado River, Arizona (E), Mexico (S), and the Pacific Ocean (W). combat battalion to be sent overseas since the Korean War Korean War, conflict between Communist and non-Communist forces in Korea from June 25, 1950, to July 27, 1953. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korean) and U.S. (South Korean) zones of occupation. , is expected to deploy in late February or March but the exact location in Iraq has not yet been disclosed. At Fort Lewis, they will be able to practice firing weapons and handling tanks and get training for specific parts of their mission. The unit, with more than 60 members, is made up primarily of reservists from the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley , with a majority of them combat veterans. Westerfield saw combat in Iraq during Desert Storm 13 years ago as well as in Somalia. Many of the reservists are current or former law enforcement officers or firefighters, which Westerfield said will be an advantage on the jobs they'll probably do in Iraq. ``These guys have to get up every morning and go to work and pay their bills and do all that unsupervised. They walk a beat in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. for five or six years as a police officer or deal with rescues and pressure and all that. We can't offer the kind of training these guys have gotten in civilian life. I can't teach an 18-year-old kid what it's like to walk a beat for five or six years in just a few months.'' The unit was alerted initially last March that it could be called to active duty. It was alerted again in October. Westerfield said the early notice helped many get over the shock of the deployment order A planning directive from the Secretary of Defense, issued by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that authorizes and directs the transfer of forces between combatant commands by reassignment or attachment. . CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2 -- color) National Guard Spc. Sam Curameng of Lancaster, above, checks his gear at the Palmdale Armory. At left, members of Company B load up in preparation for their deployment. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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