Guardsmen to deploy to Middle East

More than 400 Washington National Guard Soldiers from the 1st Squadron, 303rd Cavalry Regiment will deploy later this month in support of Operation Spartan Shield, an on-going operation in Southwest Asia.

The unit will hold its deployment ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 at the historic Tacoma Armory in downtown Tacoma. While the armory no longer belongs to the Washington National Guard, it holds a wealth of history dating back to the unit’s origin in the early 1900s.

During their deployment, Guardsmen will support Task Force Spartan which is focused on maintaining a U.S. military posture in Southwest Asia sufficient to strengthen our defense relationships and build partner capacity.

“We are so proud of the hard work and dedication of the men and women who make up the 303rd Cavalry,” said Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, the Adjutant General. “They are professional and well trained, and we are excited to see them excel during this unique training mission with the Jordanian military.”

This marks the largest deployment for the Washington National guard since the 81st Brigade Combat Team deployed in 2009-2010. The unit previously deployed as part of the 81st Brigade in 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 15,000 Washington National Guardsmen have deployed in support of federal missions overseas. The citizen-soldiers and airmen of the Washington Military Department are dedicated to the mission of safeguarding lives and property in Washington state.