March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Guardsmen prepare to serve in Bosnia

SKOWHEGAN — Activity at the Skowhegan Armory on North School Street will pick up in February as a platoon of National Guardsmen from Company A, 133rd Engineers Battalion, begin training for deployment to Bosnia in March.

A general construction platoon in the engineer unit will support Operation Joint Guard, formerly know as Operation Joint Endeavor, in Bosnia, according to an announcement from Maj. Gen. Earl L. Adams of the Maine Army National Guard.

“Our role will be primarily maintenance-oriented with base repairs,” said Maj. Dale Gilbert. “Depending on the situation, we could get into some construction.”

A total of 39 soldiers from the unit will participate in the European assignment.

“We know who is on the list. But until we go through the list to make sure there are no hardships created for individuals, we don’t specifically know who will be going,” said Gilbert.

Members of the Skowhegan unit come from the surrounding communities, but also as far away as Bangor, Waterville and Lewiston.

During February, the platoon will be housed at the Skowhegan Armory to receive refresher training in areas such as security, safety, cold weather injuries, basic first aid, convoy procedures and code of conduct.

Gilbert said that as part-time Guardsmen, the unit drills one weekend a month. The refresher training will bring their skills up to date for daily operations.

The platoon will depart for Fort Benning, Ga., where it will continue training for another two weeks before leaving for Germany. Ten days of orientation in Germany will focus specifically on Bosnia, including logistics, geography and customs.

“It’s unknown exactly what they will be doing there,” Gilbert said.

The unit will be a replacement unit for soldiers, reserves or full-time, who have served 270 days or more in Bosnia.

The unit is trained for general engineering support on base, including construction, plumbing and electrical work. The unit participated in a similar mission in Guatemala in 1994 as part of an operation called Task Force Dirigo.

Gilbert said Maine Guardsmen are putting faith in a statement reportedly made by newly installed Secretary of Defense William Cohen that all U.S. troops will be out of Bosnia in 18 months.

The Maine unit is scheduled to be active for about six months, but no more than 270 days, Gilbert said.


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