EMPORIA, Va. — The Virginia National Guard’s Emporia-based 1710th Transportation Company, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group will conduct a departure ceremony April 3, 2013, at 10 a.m. at the Greensville County Elementary School. Approximately 160 Soldiers from the 1710th will begin federal active duty April 1, 2013, and are scheduled to conduct mobilization training for about 45 to 60 days at Fort Hood, Texas, then deploy to Afghanistan. Once in country, they are expected to perform the mission of transportation support operations, and the mobilization is planned to last 12 months. The address for the Greensville County Elementary School is 1011 Sussex Drive in Emporia.

The 1710th Transportation Company is the first Virginia National Guard unit to serve on federal active duty since the return of Soldiers from the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division in July 2012.

In February, the company trained at Fort Pickett on several battle drills, including react to ambush, react to contact and evacuate a casualty and also conducted IED lanes training, weapons qualification and continued driver’s training for the U.S. Army’s Palletized Load System. The 1710th was formerly trained and organized as a medium cargo transportation company, but began training on the PLS during their annual training period last August. Along with PLS vehicles, the Soldiers will also operate Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, during their deployment.

While headquartered in Emporia, the 1710th is made up of Soldiers from all over the state. Approximately 70 Soldiers are from the Hampton Roads area, about 30 are from the Richmond and Petersburg area, approximately 15 are the Emporia, Franklin and Courtland areas, about 10 are from the Northern Virginia area and the other Soldiers are from various locations across the state.

The 1710th Transportation Company last served on federal active duty in Iraq where they provided medium lift transportation capabilities that moved critical supplies from logistical support areas out to forward operating bases from May 2008 to February 2009. The unit traveled routes throughout Iraq and conducted more than 75 missions, traveling more than 900,000 miles.

Members of the news media should plan to arrive by 9:30 a.m. to get interviews before the event starts at 10 a.m.

Since September 11, 2001, more than 15,000 Soldiers and Airmen have mobilized on federal active duty for combat operations, peacekeeping, and homeland security missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo, and other locations around the world.

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Va. Transportation Company heeds the call, prepares to haul

http://vaguard.dodlive.mil/2013/02/13/2930/

Virginia Guard Transportation Company gets head start on deployment training

http://vaguard.dodlive.mil/2012/08/16/1883/

Photos: Transportation Soldiers hone battle drill skills – Feb. 14, 2013

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaguardpao/sets/72157632774048704/

Photos: Transportation Soldiers train on IED Defeat Lane at Fort Pickett – Feb. 14, 2013

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaguardpao/sets/72157632771595910/

Photos: Virginia Transportation Company gets head start on deployment training – Aug. 8, 2012

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaguardpao/sets/72157631047207720/

29th ID Soldiers return to Virginia after federal duty in Afghanistan

http://vaguard.dodlive.mil/2012/07/14/1572/