More St. Cloud-Based National Guard Members Will Deploy Overseas This Weekend

Minnesota National Guard

(KNSI) – More National Guard members from the St. Cloud area are heading overseas.

The Minnesota National Guard is deploying about 1,100 members in Task Force 1-194 to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield. The unit includes local battalions from Camp Ripley, St. Cloud, Sauk Centre and Brainerd.

They depart for extra training at Fort Bliss, Texas on Sunday before traveling overseas. The deployment will be nine months long.

“This task force will bring together soldiers from several units across the state,” Lt. Col. Jacob Helgestad, commander of the task force, said. “Our soldiers are well-trained and ready for this mission, and I’m confident they will represent the state of Minnesota well.”

In early February, 60 National Guard soldiers from a St. Cloud-based aviation battalion deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, also for Operation Spartan Shield.

Due to COVID-19, the unit’s deployment ceremony is closed to members of the public, but it will be livestreamed on Facebook at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Soldiers readying for deployment come from these units:

1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor – Brainerd
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor – Camp Ripley
Company A, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor – Sauk Centre
Company B, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor – St. Cloud
Company C, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor – East St. Paul
Company A, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry – Detroit Lakes
Company B, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 136th Infantry – Crookston
Company C, 134th Brigade Support Battalion – Cottage Grove
Company G, 134th Brigade Support Battalion – Camp Ripley