875th alerted to possible new deployment

Members of the 875th Engineer Battalion were told Saturday during the first day of their regularly scheduled annual training at the Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center near Fort Smith to prepare for the possibility of being called to support overseas operations. A portion of the 875th's 700 men could be part of an upcoming mobilization in 2010.

According to the Arkansas Army National Guard, there is no guarantee the 875th will be deployed since no official alert order has yet been received.

"We simply cannot sit down and wait to act when, and if, an alert is actually

published," said Major General William D. Wofford, the adjutant general of the

Arkansas National Guard. "Since we are facing a potentially short-fused alert, we are proactively taking steps to prepare the battalion so they will

be ready when the time comes. The first step in making this happen is to

give our troops as much notice as possible so they can prepare their families

and civilian employers."

Once published, an alert order identifies units as possibly being mobilized and directs them to prepare for such a case. It does not necessarily mean the identified unit will, in fact, be mobilized. A deployment for the battalion will not be definite until a mobilization order is received.

All information regarding the potential timeline, location and all other specific information regarding this possible mobilization currently remain classified in order to ensure the highest level of security.

This notification identified the 875th's Jonesboro and Paragould units as those which may be mobilized. According to the Arkansas National Guard release, the state would likely need to pull in soldiers from some of the battalion's other units in Marked Tree, Harrisburg and North Little Rock in order to meet the required number of troops.

Because of this notification, the battalion's training has been altered to prepare for potential deployment. The unit is taking part in Soldier's Readiness Process to make troops are fully prepared as both in their military and personal lives. The current training includes a stronger focus on the basic soldier skills, including increased shooting, movement and communication drills.

The 875th deployed to Iraq in 2006 in support of road clearance missions. The troops spent a year in Iraq, returning in the fall of 2007. The efforts of the 875th in completing their duties have been applauded by those in command of the battalion. While in Iraq, the 875th completed over 2,700 combat missions during more than 300,000 mission hours, as they cleared more than 375,000 kilometers of roadways.

"This is somewhat like déjà vu for our soldiers," said Lt. Col. Corey Seats, battalion commander of the 875th. "Our troops definitely proved their relevance to the nation during that time. They successfully cleared 1,244 roadside bombs and saved countless lives in the process."

If required, the Arkansas National Guard plans to conduct the initial pre-mobilization training here in the state in order to allow the soldiers the chance to spend as much time as possible with their families prior to any potential deployment.