Departure ceremony for Virginia National Guard Soldiers from across the commonwealth held in Richmond - May 26, 2011

Approximately 825 Virginia Army National Soldiers in units based in the Hampton Roads area, Fredericksburg and Christiansburg conducted a consolidated departure ceremony May 26 in Richmond to recognize their upcoming tour of federal active duty service in Iraq. Smaller departure events will be held June 1 at their home readiness centers. The mobilization is the largest single unit mobilization in the Virginia Army Guard since World War II.

The Soldiers have been training at Fort Pickett for the last few weeks and will officially begin serving on federal active duty June 1. After the departure events June 1, the Soldiers will consolidate at Fort Pickett and then depart to Camp Atterbury, Ind. where they will train for approximately 45 to 60 days before deploying to Iraq.

The units being mobilized are all part of the 116th Brigade Combat Team, and they will come together to form Task Force 183 under the control of the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment with the mission of conducting convoy security and base defense operations in support of Operation New Dawn. The breakdown by unit and home readiness center is as follows:

o Approximately 435 Soldiers from the Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron 183rd Cavalry Regiment with units in Norfolk, Suffolk and Virginia Beach
o Approximately 260 Soldiers from the Fredericksburg-based Company A, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion and Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment
o Approximately 130 Soldiers from the Christiansburg-based Company C, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment

The mobilization order calls for an approximate tour length of 400 days.

With approximately 825 Soldiers, Task Force 183 is the largest single unit mobilization in the Virginia Army National Guard since World War II. The second largest deployment was approximately 775 Soldiers from the Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment that deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to April 2008.

Since September 11, 2001, approximately 12,000 Soldiers and Airmen have been mobilized for federal active duty with 3,600 serving in Operation Noble Eagle, 1,270 in Operation Enduring Freedom, 5,200 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 475 in Kosovo, 350 in Bosnia, 375 for Air Expeditionary Force duty and 765 personnel on individual mobilizations all over the world.

Members of the news media are welcome to attend the following events scheduled for June 1:

- Portsmouth: A formal ceremony will be held for the TF 183 Headquarters Troop at 10:00 at the readiness center at 3200 Elmhurst Lane.
- Norfolk: An informal family event will be held for Troop A, TF 183 at 10:00 a.m. at the readiness center at 3777 Virginia Beach Blvd.
- Christiansburg: An informal family event will be held for Company C, TF 183 at 8:00 a.m. at the readiness center at 15 College Street.
- Fredericksburg: A formal ceremony will be held for Company A and Company D, TF 183 at 11:00 a.m. at Dodd Hall on the campus of Mary Washington University.

The Portsmouth-based 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment last deployed overseas from September 2007 to May 2008 where they conducted security operations in Kuwait and Southern Iraq. The squadron consists of the Norfolk-based A Troop, the Suffolk-based B Troop, the Virginia Beach-based C Troop and the Portsmouth-based Company D, 429th Brigade Support Battalion.

Company A, 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion last mobilized for federal active duty from March 2007 to February 2008 where they conducted area presence patrols, route security patrols, civil military operations as well as base defense operations.

Company C, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment last mobilized as a unit for peace-keeping duty in Kosovo from December 2006 to November 2007, but many Soldiers in the units have mobilized to Iraq and Afghanistan with other Virginia Guard units.

Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment last mobilized for duty in Kuwait from September 2007 to May 2008 where they conducted security operations and provided protection to the strategically important deepwater port at Ash Shuaybah.

The United States military transitioned Sept. 1, 2010 from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn as part of the responsible drawn down of forces in Iraq. The mission focus of Operation New Dawn shifts away from direct combat operations to advising, assisting, and training the Iraqi Security Forces, conducting partnered counter-terrorism operations and providing support to Provincial Reconstruction Teams and other organizations as they help Iraq build civil capacity.