St. Cloud Based Minnesota National Guard Soldiers to Deploy Monday

Saint Cloud, MN, USA / KNSI

Feb 5, 2021 | 9:46 AM

Minnesota National Guard

(KNSI) – Roughly 60 soldiers from B Company, 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment based in St. Cloud will deploy Monday to Kuwait and Iraq for the next nine months in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

The Minnesota National Guard will provide aerial movement of troops and supplies plus equipment, combat support, and combat service support.

The soldiers will travel to Fort Hood, Texas, and join approximately 75 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard’s 1-171st General Support Aviation Battalion for additional training before traveling to the Middle East.

This unit deployed in 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, in 2011 in support of Operation New Dawn, and in 2016 to support Operation Enduring Freedom.

Capt. Vincent Gonsior, commander of the deploying troops, says in a statement, “I love this company and I am extremely proud to lead this group of Soldiers. All of our training and previous deployments have prepared us, and I’m confident in our ability to safely and professionally execute this mission.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the unit’s deployment ceremony is closed to the public, but it can be viewed via Livestream on the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th ECAB Facebook page starting at 1:00 p.m. That can be found by clicking here.

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(KNSI) – The Minnesota State High School League has approved a maximized winter sports season.

The Board of Directors voted in favor of a 30% reduction in games with a maximum of two per week and allowing three in the last two weeks of the season for COVID-19 related rescheduling.

The MSHSL has also announced a practice schedule for winter sports:

Dance – November 9th
Boys hockey, adapted floor hockey, and boys basketball – November 23rd
Alpine/Nordic skiing, wrestling, boys swimming and diving, and girls hockey – November 30th
Gymnastics and girls hockey – December 7th

The MSHSL also decided on guidelines for fall postseason events:

Girls tennis tournaments run from October 5th through the 17th.
Boys and girls’ soccer section tournaments go from October 12th through the 24th and only two games per week.
Boys and girls cross country sections will take place the week of October 12th
Girls swimming and diving sections will take place the week of October 19th.

Under current COVID-19 guidelines set by the Minnesota Departments of Health, no spectators are allowed at indoor events in school facilities, with a limit of 250 fans at outdoor facilities.