Recent military call-ups push Utah total to 4,000

With the call-up of a 500-member Utah National Guard field artillery battalion from southern Utah and up to 147 additional Army Reservists, Utah's contribution of part-time military members to a possible war in Iraq is nearing 4,000.

Figures provided by the Defense Department national headquarters, plus local Utah National Guard and Army Reserve officials, total 3,732 activated. The actual number may vary slightly, as some units may not be at full strength.

The largest single mobilization announced recently is that of the 222nd Field Artillery, a National Guard battalion with units in Cedar City, St. George, Beaver and Richfield. On Saturday, the battalion, commanded by Lt. Col. Vance Larsen, received its notification that it would be mobilized.

Deployment orders for the battalion will be for mid-March, said Lt. Col. Brad Blackner, Guard spokesman at the Draper headquarters.

"Soldiers will report later this week to begin preparations to deploy the battalion to Fort Carson, Colo., where they will conduct final preparations before shipping to their destination," he said.

"Early reports indicated the battalion would be used to provide security either here in the United States or abroad, but, information received Monday indicates that the 222nd will, in fact, be assigned a mission in the Middle East," Blackner added.

Up to 147 additional Army Reservists are being activated in defense of Operation Enduring Freedom. The call-up is to report to their reserve stations and prepare to travel to mobilization centers.

The Reservists are from the:

• 155th Adjutant General Company (Postal), Salt Lake City, up to 18 soldiers who will travel to Fort Lewis, Wash., on March 18. The 155th provides direct support postal service to members within an assigned area, said Claude D. McKinney, spokesman for the 96th.

• 200th Medical Detachment, Salt Lake City, up to 10 soldiers, who will travel to Fort Carson on March 12.

"The 200th provides preventive medicine support and consultation in the areas of disease and non-battle injury prevention, field sanitation, entomology, sanitary engineering and epidemiology," said McKinney.

• 854th Quartermaster Company, Logan, up to 119 soldiers, who will travel to Fort Lewis on March 18. The 854th operates a direct supply facility in receiving, storing and reissuing Army material, including potable water.

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E-mail: bau@desnews.com