LATE UPDATE:Officials have changed the departure time from the Festus Armory to 9:15 a.m. Saturday (April 26) for an escorted bus. A separate bus that will not be escorted will leave at 10:15 a.m.
Missouri National Guard 220th Engineer Company members will leave Saturday (April 26) from their Festus Armory home base for deployment to Afghanistan, military spokesmen reported this week.
The unit is scheduled for a nine-month tour of duty in Afghanistan to assist with the evacuation of U.S. military personnel. The company’s tasks will include disassembling structures the Army has built and fixing roadways, a spokesman said.
Community members are encouraged to line the streets along the 220th’s travel route. After the guard members leave the armory, which is on Hwy. P in Hematite, they will head toward Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, said Lisa Uzzle, co-leader of the 220th Family Readiness Group (FRG).
Well-wishers should wave and display signs of support as the vehicles carrying company members roll along, she said.
Soldiers will travel north from the armory and then east on Hwy. A to north on I-55 to east on I-270 to the airport, send-off organizers reported.
The Arnold Veterans Commission is inviting people to meet at Arnold VFW Post 2593, at 2301 Church Road, and then line up at the Church Road overpass of I-55 to wave at troops as they pass by. Participants are encouraged to bring flags, signs and banners.
Robert Harmon, who is helping to organize the send-off, said police escorts are scheduled to accompany the 220th’s convoy along the way to the airport. Harmon is a Veterans of Foreign Wars recruiter with VFW Post 1831 of De Soto.
Sgt. Garrett Temple of the 220th said the Patriot Guard will also participate in the escort.
The 220th leaves Lambert to travel to Fort Bliss, Texas, before departing for Afghanistan.
Send-off activities begin at 6 p.m. Thursday (April 24) with a nondenominational prayer service at Our Lady Catholic Church, 1550 St. Mary Lane, Festus.
The public is invited to attend the prayer service, as well as a deployment ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday (April 25) at the Festus High School gymnasium, 501 Westwind Drive, Festus. Gov. Jay Nixon is scheduled to attend the deployment ceremony.
A catered luncheon, funded by local veterans groups, for company members and their families is scheduled for noon April 25, but it is not open to the public.
Temple said if too many people show up for the deployment ceremony, which will be held indoors, soldiers’ families will receive first consideration to attend.
In addition to the governor, Missouri National Guard adjutant general (commander of the state’s military), Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner and local officials are scheduled to speak at the ceremony, Temple said.
Harmon said five Jefferson County veterans groups are working together to organize and fund the send-off. In addition to Post 1831, those involved include VFW Post 3777 in Festus-Crystal City, VFW Post 2593 in Arnold, American Legion Post 253 in Festus and Amvets Post 48 in De Soto.
Harmon said the groups could use donations to help pay for the 220th luncheon, which will feed about 500 soldiers and their relatives. Contributions may be mailed to: VFW Post 1831, P.O. Box 191, De Soto, 63020. Donators should make checks out to “VFW” and write “220th” in the memo section of the check to indicate what it is for, he said.
The unit’s last deployment, to Iraq, was from January 2005 to spring 2006.