Remissioning is Official for 37th IBCT

Earlier in the week, we talked about the challenges of being told you won/t deploy after being mobilized.

The DoD has now officially announced the remissioning of the 37TH Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The Department of Defense announced today changes to the mission of the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) due to reduced requirements in Afghanistan. The 37th IBCT, 38th Infantry Division, consisting primarily of Army National Guard units from Ohio and Michigan, began mobilizing in early October 2011, for deployment to Afghanistan.

All of the re-missioned 37th Soldiers will be serving in various security force assignments guarding U.S. forces and facilities in both Afghanistan and Bahrain.

The National Guard has mobilized more than 700,000 soldiers and airmen in support of overseas contingency operations and domestic operations since Sept. 11, 2001, some more than once. There are 26,000 National Guard soldiers currently mobilized and deployed supporting the Operation New Dawn and/or Operation Enduring Freedom missions.

The Department of Defense understands that members of the National Guard make major commitments when they are mobilized, often leaving jobs and school, terminating leases, and moving families in advance of deployment. Employers, schools and families must make plans months in advance for deployments that routinely last longer than a year. Whenever possible we will find suitable alternate missions for mobilized units affected by changing requirements.

The Army Times has picked up the news as well.

About 700 soldiers from the Ohio National Guard’s 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who were scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan have been remissioned to serve in Bahrain, the Defense Department announced Wednesday.

About 2,500 soldiers from the brigade will proceed with the originally scheduled Afghanistan deployment while about 200 others volunteered to be released from active duty, officials said.

The change was made because of reduced requirements in Afghanistan, and commanders decided they did not need the full 3,500-soldier brigade to deploy there.

The 37th IBCT began mobilizing in early October and is currently training at Camp Shelby, Miss. The unit — both the contingent going to Afghanistan and the one headed to Bahrain — is expected to deploy by the end of the year.

By: Brant