Hammond Indiana National Guard unit departing for training, then Afghanistan

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Indiana National Guard’s A Company, 2-151st Infantry, armored in Hammond, Ind., will hold its departure ceremony at Wicker Park in Highland, Ind., at 6:00 p.m., on Saturday, June 6. The park is at the corner of Indianapolis Blvd. and Ridge Rd.

Indiana’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, received notification in October that the infantry Soldiers would deploy to Afghanistan to support counterinsurgency operations.

Approximately 180 Soldiers from the unit will depart for Camp Shelby, Miss. to hone their skills critical for their time in theater. The unit is commanded by 1st Lt Mathew L. Hall, and the top enlisted Soldier is 1st Sgt. Steven J. Bishop. The Soldiers are scheduled to conduct a wide-range of force protection operations while in Afghanistan.

"The safety of our installations, and the Soldiers and civilians working there is a top priority,” said Maj. Gen. Umbarger. "I feel confident that this mission is in good hands with Alpha Company."

The unit’s deployment time should be no longer than one year.