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"Texans Serving Texas"
MEDIA ADVISORY
Media is invited to cover a deployment ceremony on Joint Base San Antonio – Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 10 a.m. and must arrive no later than 9:30 a.m. (this is a firm time) at the Walters Gate Visitors Center to allow for parking and coordination. Leadership and Soldiers from the unit will be available for interviews following the ceremony.
Members of the media are required to RSVP no later than Friday, May 24, 2019, by 4 p.m. with the Texas Military Department Public Affairs Office at 512-782-5620 or email at ng.tx.txarng.mbx.pao@mail.mil.
Media will be met at the Fort Sam Houston Walters Gate Visitors Center parking lot at
892 Hood St., San Antonio, Texas 78208.
Media will be required to show credentials. Media will be escorted to the observation area.
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLIC RELEASE:
Texas National Guard Soldiers to Deploy to Middle East
AUSTIN, Texas (May 22, 2019) – On Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 10 a.m., the Texas Army National Guard will bid farewell and good luck to the 636th Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, of the 71st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade, 71st Troop Command, as they mobilize to the Middle East in support of Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The deployment ceremony will be held at the Freedom Park Amphitheater located on Joint Base San Antonio – Fort Sam Houston.
This is the largest military intelligence deployment for the Texas Army National Guard since 2009, when the 636th Military Intelligence Battalion mobilized to Afghanistan. The more than 60 Soldiers deploying have attended more than 30 courses spanning 380 man days and logging 550,000 training hours at a total of nine different locations.
“We are very proud of these teams of intelligence soldiers who have stepped forward to defend their country,” said Col. Michael Liesmann, commander, 71st EMIB. “The Texas Army National Guard has a well-established reputation for having ready, lethal Soldiers and this deployment builds on that long-standing tradition. This is a particularly tough mission our folks are going to do, but I have great confidence that each officer, non-commissioned officer and Soldier will do their duty, take care of each other and successfully complete this important mission with honor.”
The mission of the 636th Military Intelligence Battalion is to provide distributed capabilities with small deploying teams. While deployed, Task Force Athena will provide multi-discipline intelligence support to a Special Operations Joint Task Force while operating from multiple locations, focused on providing solutions in the most dynamic and complex region of the world.
Following some additional training, the detachment will deploy for overseas sometime this summer.
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The mission of the Texas Military Department (TMD) is to provide the Governor and the President with ready and trained forces in support of the citizens of Texas and State and Federal civil/military authorities at home and abroad.
The Texas Military Department is commanded by the Adjutant General of Texas, the state's senior military official appointed by the governor, and is comprised of the Texas Military Department (formerly the Adjutant General's Department), the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG), the Texas Air National Guard (TXANG), the Texas State Guard (TXSG).
For more information about the Texas Military Department visit our Website at https://tmd.texas.gov.
Texas Military Department Public Affairs
P.O. Box 5218, Building 10
Camp Mabry (Austin), Texas 78703