CONTACT: : Eric Durr (518) 786-4581

FOR RELEASE: Sunday, Jun 01, 2008

ON SITE: Capt. Carleen Calypso (845) 826-1941

WHO:

About 160 Soldiers and family members of A Company and D Company and a Detachment of E Company of the 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation and their family members. The 53rd Troop Command Commander, Brig. Gen. Michael Swezey; New York State Aviation Officer Col. Michael Bobeck; and the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Albert Ricci will speak.

WHAT:

The 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, based at the New York Army National Guard’s Latham flight facility will hold a farewell for 160 Iraq-bound Soldiers on Sunday, June 1. Send-off ceremony for New York Army National Guard members who will be serving in Iraq for approximately 10 months

WHEN:

10 a.m., Sunday, June 1

WHERE:

Saratoga County Fairgrounds, Ballston Spa, NY

The 3rd Battalion-142nd Aviation is an Assault Helicopter Battalion equipped with UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters with units based at McArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and at Albany International Airport in Latham New York. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company and B Company at based at McArthur Airport while E Co. is located in Patchogue. A detachment of E Co., the maintenance element, along with A Company and D Company are located in Latham. The send-off ceremony is the unit’s official farewell event. Members of the battalion will begin moving to their Fort Sill, Oklahoma, mobilization training site, this coming week. The unit’s helicopters are expected to leave Ronkonkoma on June. 6. Because of the number of Soldiers and family members expected-as many as 600 people may be present-St. Josephs College volunteered the use of their athletic center for the event. The 3rd-142nd is expected to train at Fort Sill for approximately two months, prior to deploying to Balad, Iraq for ten months of service there. The unit will conduct air transportation operations in support of Multi-National Corps Iraq, as part of the 34th Aviation Brigade, an element of the Minnesota Army National Guard. The New York-based unit will deploy with 20 Blackhawk helicopters and pick up ten more, and an additional company, from the Missouri Army National Guard. That state’s C Co. 1st Battalion 106th Aviation, will deploy as the C Co, for the 3rd Battalion 142nd. The 3rd-142nd began training for this mission last fall. The unit has spent two three-week training periods at Fort Drum, in Jefferson County, preparing for the deployment, and has also been training at home station. Military Speakers: Brigadier General Michael Swezey: Brig Gen.Swezey, an executive with Merrill Lynch in Albany, commands the New York Army National Guard’s 53rd Troop Command. A West Point graduate, Swezey was once commander of the 3rd Battalion 142nd Aviation. He has also served as the deputy commander of the New York Army National Guard. Lt. Col. Albert Ricci: Lt. Col. Ricci is the commander of the 1st Battalion 142nd Aviation. This is his second deployment to Iraq. He deployed to Iraq in 2005 as a member of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade staff.