CONTACT: Eric Durr, (518) 786-4581,

FOR RELEASE: Friday, Jun 20, 2008

The New York National Guard’s 206th Military Police Company will be conducting a week of training at the New York State Preparedness Training Center at the Oneida County Airport the week of June 22. Fifty-three members of the Latham, Albany County-based unit, will be training on new M1117 Armored Security Vehicles and conducting urban combat training at the facility, which is run by the New York State Office of Homeland Security. This will be the second week of the company’s two-week annual training period. The Soldiers spent their first week of training at Fort Drum. Residents of the area can expect to see some military vehicles on the roads and uniformed Soldiers in the area. The Soldiers will be using blank ammunition and explosives simulators in their training exercise. Residents should expect to here some loud noises at the training site during this period. The New York State Preparedness Training Center offers these military police Soldiers, many of whom have served in Iraq, an opportunity to hone the skills they use in exercising their security missions in a combat theater. The Training Center has buildings that will be used in tactical training and plenty of space to practice driving the new armored vehicles. Vehicles like these protect convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan on a regular basis.