HARTFORD, Conn. — Almost 100 National Guardsmen deployed for duty overseas on Sunday. The members of the 143rd Regional Support Group, based in Middletown, departed in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, adjutant general and commander of the Connecticut National Guard, announced the departure, saying the unit will provide base management and oversight.
According to the U.S. Army, “Operation Spartan Shield plays a role both in deterring regional aggression and reacting to possible threats within the Middle East.”
“I have every confidence that the 143rd RSG will perform at the highest levels supporting units and partners in the region,” Evon said in a news release. “Connecticut’s Home Team will once again prove its readiness and capability working alongside our Active Duty and Reserve counterparts overseas much as we have domestically here at home through this challenging year.”
The Connecticut National Guard says that over the next ten months, approximately 1,000 members are expected to deploy in support of various operations overseas, signaling the largest overseas presence of Connecticut National Guardsmen in nearly eight years.
The 143rd Regional Support Group’s lineage dates back to the famed 43rd Infantry Division, nicknamed “Winged Victory Division”, with notable service in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
