LANSING, MICH.-Friends and family bid farewell to 11 members of the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team(OMLT), as they departed last Friday to Fort Benning, Georgia. While in Georgia they will conduct in-processing and mission specific training prior to duty status in both Europe and Afghanistan. The team is scheduled to return in August of 2009.
The Soldiers, fondly referred to as the "omlet" shop by other units at the headquarters building in Lansing, are a varied group from Battle Creek, Lansing and Wyoming, Michigan with skill specialties in advanced mechanics, medicine, computer systems, and legal proceedings among others. All members of the team share an infantry background and will serve as trainers and advisors for Latvian partners and Afghani troops while overseas. The Michigan National Guard has had a partnership with the Latvian Army since 1992 and will now have the opportunity to work hand in hand with the troops on a deployment.
A brief deployment ceremony was held Friday June 13 in the assembly hall at the Michigan National Guard Headquarters, 3411 North Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing.
Today, approximately 1,600 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are deployed across the globe in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; however, as the Michigan Guard serves the nation more than 80 percent of its members are available, trained and ready to respond to a state emergency, including a terrorist event or weather caused emergency.
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