35 to 50 members of 412th Command called up

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 20, 2003

About 35 to 50 members of an Army Reserve unit based in Vicksburg have been called to report to Fort Polk, La., Thursday.

“When something like this happens in the world we try to be prepared for the possibility of our involvement,” said Maj. Melody Harrington, spokesman for the 412th Engineer Command, the latest unit with members called to active duty.

The reservists will not be notified of their deployment destination until after they arrive at Fort Polk, Harrington said.

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Members of the unit are from Kansas, Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, and a ceremony for the departing soldiers will be at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the 412th Reserve Center, 1265 Porters Chapel Road.

Last week, about 190 members of the Mississippi National Guard 2nd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group based in Jackson were called to active duty under a presidential partial mobilization. The group left Friday for Fort Bragg, N.C., and will also deploy to a undisclosed overseas location.

Last month, the 114th Military Police returned from a 12-month deployment as part of the Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, mission. The unit is based in Brandon with a detachment in Vicksburg.

Lt. Col. Tim Powell, spokesman for the Mississippi National Guard, said that under the presidential partial mobilization order, the unit could be placed on active duty for up to another year, but that he doesn’t see that happening at this time.

“Most have been called up for only 12 months,” Powell said.

The 114th was previously called to active duty in 1995 and served in Germany during peace-keeping missions in Bosnia. The unit was also sent to the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

Powell also said it is likely that some individuals with the Headquarters Company 168th Engineers Group could be called to service although it might not include the entire outfit.

“Engineers are in high demand and there is a critical shortage in the Army so the 168th is taking appropriate preparations at this time,” Powell said.

Herrington said that about 35 members of the 412th Engineer Command were also activated during missions to Bosnia.