As Ethiopian rebels approach the capital Addis Ababa, 1,000 U.S. National Guards went to the Bliss, Texas base on Saturday to receive pre-deployment training and prepare to be stationed on the Horn of Africa peninsula in East Africa early next year. The US Department of Defense did not disclose whether the mission is reinforcement or rotation. There are currently 6,000 US soldiers, civilian personnel and contractors in Africa, of which 3,400 are in Djibouti.
The 150 soldiers participating in the mission were from the Kentucky National Guard and belonged to Company B, 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment; the remaining 850 were from the Virginia National Guard, including most of the 1st Battalion and 3rd Battalion of the 116th Infantry Regiment. A Company; One of the 2nd Squadron of the 183th Cavalry Regiment, and the G Company of the 429th Brigade Support Battalion. Two groups of soldiers formed the Red Dragon Task Force, commanded by the 1st Battalion of the 116th Infantry Regiment. The Red Dragon Task Force is responsible for guarding and guarding bases for the United States Horn of Africa Joint Task Force, and establishing relations with the host country to improve peace and stability in the region.
The 116th Infantry Regiment is the fourth federal active duty mission after the terrorist attacks of September 11 in 2001. It will join the 29th Infantry Division, 329 Regional Support Group and other troops deployed in the Middle East in January next year. There will be more than 2,000 Victorians. The mobilization of Civilian Guard soldiers is the largest mobilization of the Victorian National Guard since 1942.