Las Vegas NowHundreds of Nevada Guard Soldiers to be Deployed

Hundreds of Nevada Guard Soldiers to be Deployed

Hundreds of guard soldiers are preparing to head overseas. They will be part of the Nevada National Guard's largest deployment since World War II. When they take off in the spring, they will be heading to a volatile part of the world.

The local soldiers are headed into a combat role to Afghanistan. About 600 soldiers from Nevada will provide security for rebuilding efforts and work to ensure civil order in one entire province of the country.

The M1151A1 armored Humvee is just one type of vehicle the 600 members of Army Guard's First Squadron 221st Cavalry will be using in Afghanistan. The squadron is called Wildhorse.

Lt. Colonel Scott Cunningham is squadron commander, "It is an assignment that is going to involve combat with the Taliban, basically on a day to day basis."

Lt. Colonel Cunningham says his squadron will have two main missions: providing security for a provincial reconstruction team, and ensuring civil order in an entire region of Afghanistan called Laghman Province.

"Doing security and stability operations and counter-insurgency operations," said Lt. Col. Cunningham.

The Wildhorse Squadron does most of its training in this vast desert complex in Fort Irwin, California. In 2005, Eyewitness News traveled with the guard to Fort Irwin where we met Major Randy Lau, "I am a parent. I am husband. I am also the operations officer for the squadron."

Major Lau will likely be part of the deployment to Afghanistan. He says the training will serve him and all soldiers well in what promises to be a very hazardous mission, "You have got to prepare yourself mentally. You have got prepare yourself physically and, most importantly, you have to prepare yourself spiritually. Everyone has got their own different means."

The Wildhorse Squadron is no stranger to deployments, but a previous international deployment to Iraq was not of this scope or scale. This deployment could last for a year.

The final departure date has not been finalized but it is expected to be in late April.