150 Stillwater-Based National Guard Troops To Deploy To Naval Station Guantanamo Bay For Base Security
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- About 150 Minnesota National Guard troops based in Stillwater will be deploying to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay this weekend.
According to the National Guard, the soldiers of the 34th Military Police Company will be providing base security in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo.
"Our Soldiers are trained and motivated for this important mission," Capt. Troy Davidson, the company commander, said. "We've worked hard over the last few years to make sure this unit is one of the most ready units in the U.S. Army."
The National Guard says the 34th Military Police Company was "instrumental" in the response to civil unrest in the Twin Cities, and was one of the first units to respond. The company has also deployed soldiers to Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq since 9/11.
Recently, the company received an award recognizing it as one of the top military police units in the U.S. Army.
The unit deployment will be streamed live on Facebook at 1 p.m. Sunday. The public is asked to watch virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Troops will travel to Fort Bliss, Texas before traveling to the base, located on the southeastern shore of Cuba.