The Illinois Army National Guard unit based in Urbana has been notified it will deploy in the summer of 2020 to the Ukraine. The 170 soldiers with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Team will be deploying in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve – European Reassurance Initiative.
In 2018, the 33rd participated in a month-long training exercise at one of the U.S. Army’s premiere combat training sites – The Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
‘’The Soldiers of the 33rd IBCT have demonstrated their professionalism and skill during several major training exercises over the past few years – including at the JRTC last summer,’’ said Brigadier General Richard Neely, Adjutant General, Illinois National Guard. ‘’Their commitment to duty, along with the unwavering support of the entire organization and their families and civilian employers will ensure their success,’’ he added.
A typical National Guard unit deployment is for nine months, but at this time no dates have been determined for how long the Urbana unit will remain deployed.
