Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
The Montana Army National Guard has confirmed that the company based in Havre is being deployed to Iraq for 12 months. Sgt. 1st Class Tom Steber, public affairs noncommissioned officer, said this morning that the 639th Supply Co. Will be deployed sometime in January. “We haven’t pinned down the exact time,” he said. A local guardsman said troops have been told to expect to leave on Jan. 3. Members of the unit this week were packing belongings, which were to be ready for shipment to Iraq by Thursday. The unit has also served more onduty time this year receiving training. This will be the second time the 639th, which also has detachments in Libby and Kalispell, has been deployed to Iraq since the Iraqi conflict started in 2003. The Havre-based company was also deployed from December 2003 to March of 2005. Steber said the company, consisting of about 120 troops, will first be sent for a few weeks training at Fort Lewis in Washington. The company will then deploy to Iraq, serving primarily in a warehouse supply mission with some work in fuel supply, Steber said. The company will spend a few weeks in a fort in the United States once they return from deployment for a debriefing before returning to Montana, Steber said.
