It made our local news, and didn’t exactly make national news, but the National Guard of various states received alert orders for possible deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan within the next year or so.

My own unit from Pennsylvania, the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, along with a North Carolina brigade, are deploying for full-spectrum combat operations, while four others deploy for security operations.  A seventh brigade, from New Jersey, will be deploying for “detainment operations.”

For Reservists and Guard, a year’s notice really amounts to about 50-60 days of training prior to deployment, which I’m sure will include some kind of decent train-up or qualification at a mobilization site or national training center.  My serious concern is our personnel strength for the deployment, and the availability of volunteers in time for team-building and useful training on the Stryker and our super-cool equipment.

I’m not sure if LTC Seidman, our state’s only rabbi, is deploying with us or not.  In the meantime, I’d like to know of any Jewish soldiers in the 56th SBCT who will be deploying, so maybe we can get a jump-start on an in-theater minyan.

Stories from Jewish Soldiers in all these Guard units are encouraged as well.  2009 looks like it will be the “Citizen Soldier” year of the Global War on Terror, and it would be sweet to have anecdotes from Jewish members of the National Guard prior to and while it happens.