Guard Going To Afghanistan

The Montana Army National Guard’s 484th Military Police Co. is scheduled to leave Montana next week, headed to its mobilization station at Fort Bliss, Texas. The unit is deploying to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 484th MP Co. is a subordinate unit of the 190th Combat Service Support Battalion, which is located in Billings. The MP company has headquarters in Malta with detachments in Glasgow and Billings.

The unit is having a public departure ceremony for friends and family scheduled for Monday, April 16, at 4 p.m. at the Billings Armed Forces Reserve Center. The unit is scheduled to leave the state the next day, April 17, at 6:15 a.m. from the Edwards Air Terminal at the Billings International Airport. The public is invited to attend both events.

“For this unit as a whole, I’m really proud of it and our ability to carry out our mission,” Staff Sgt. Matt Sonsteng told The Courier on Tuesday from Billings. “I can’t think of a better unit to be with. Our commander always says we’re the best unit in the state.”

This is the first overseas deployment and second overall as a member of the 484th for Sonsteng, a former Glasgow resident who lives in Billings. An earlier mission took the unit to Alaska in 2005.

The approximately 150 soldiers of the unit will be heading to Fort Bliss for about eight weeks to complete their final train-up prior to departure. The unit is scheduled to be mobilized for one year, assisting in the training of the Afghan National Police. 

In the spring of 2011 the 484th received a notification of sourcing for possible deployment. The unit has been conducting extensive training in preparation for the deployment since that time.