News from
The Adjutant General's Department

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       Oct. 25, 2004

No. 04-119

1st BATTALION, 635th ARMOR, KANSAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD, DEPLOYS FOR KOSOVO OCT. 27

Approximately 325 soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 635th Armor, Kansas Army National Guard, will depart on the first leg of their deployment to Kosovo on Wednesday, Oct. 27. The deployment is part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The soldiers will depart from Hangar 662, at the 190th Air Refueling Wing, Kansas Air National Guard at Forbes Field, Topeka, following a short deployment ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Visitors should enter Forbes Field through Gate B.

"Whenever our soldiers are deployed, there are sacrifices that must be made," said Maj. Gen. (KS) Tod Bunting, the adjutant general, "by the soldiers, their families and their employers. I want all of them to know how much we appreciate their sacrifices in the cause of freedom. I also want to assure these soldiers that their families will be well taken care of while they're gone."

The soldiers will be departing for their mobilization station at Fort Lewis, Wash.

The 1st Battalion, 635th Armor is headquartered in Manhattan with units in Emporia, Junction City and Lenexa. The battalion operates the Army's main battle tank, the M1A1 Abrams. However, the Kosovo mission will involve Stability and Support Operations and the unit will not be taking its tanks. This is the unit's first mobilization for overseas duty since the 635th Tank Destroyer Battalion deployed to the European Theater of Operations during World War II.

Operation Enduring Freedom refers, generally, to U.S. military operations associated with the War on Terrorism that either take place at an overseas site or in support of units going outside the United States.

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