The Arkansas National Guard told approximately 700 soldiers this week to prepare for possible 2016 deployment to the Horn of Africa.
A much smaller contingent received word to prepare for assignment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Both deployments are tentatively scheduled for between the fall of 2016 and the fall of 2017, according to a statement issued Wednesday. Lt. Col. Joel Lynch, a spokesman for the Arkansas National Guard, cautioned that the plans are indefinite.
"This is a heads-up for us to know to get our personnel ready," Lynch said. "The notification basically says, 'Hey, this is possibly going to happen. We're looking at you.'"
The National Guard Bureau called on the 1st Battalion of the state Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade for the Africa mission. The 1st Battalion is based in Malvern and has units in Arkadelphia, Benton, De Queen, Hope, Mena, Prescott, Sheridan and Texarkana.
A notification sent from the National Guard Bureau last week says the Arkansas soldiers will conduct operations in support of U.S. Africa Command's mission in the Horn of Africa, a peninsula in northeast Africa that includes the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia.
According to U.S. Africa Command's website, the purpose of its Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa is to "promote regional security and stability," "dissuade conflict" and counter violent extremist organizations. The task force is assigned about 2,000 people and is based at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
BBC News reported last year that the U.S. was "dramatically increasing" its operations in the Horn of Africa after a September 2013 attack at a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, for which the Somalian Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility.
Al-Shabab attacks have continued. At least six civilians were killed in three simultaneous attacks Friday in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, CNN reported. The group claimed responsibility.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, released a statement Sunday saying the U.S. "remains committed to working with the Somali people, their government, and international partners to continue forward in progress, prosperity and stability."
The National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va., notified the Arkansas Military Department last week that the battalion was needed for an unspecified mission in the region.
At the same time, the National Guard Bureau also called upon Arkansas' 15-person public affairs detachment to serve as journalists and facilitate media visits at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which contains a detainee facility.
Arkansas National Guard leaders forwarded the message to the affected soldiers. Members of the public affairs detachment were told Sunday during their monthly drill at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, and National Guard leaders called each of the 700 members of the 39th Infantry Brigade.
The service members are traditional guardsmen, meaning they serve part time, reporting for monthly drills and annual training. Many of them are students or have full-time civilian jobs.
"We tell the soldiers, 'Don't sell your house, don't quit college, don't do any life-changing modifications,' because it could change," Lynch said. "But also, we're letting them know something may happen so they can start thinking about it."
Another message with more details will be sent to the guardsmen "several months down the road," Lynch said.
At that point, the state Guard will start mission-specific training, he said. The National Guard Bureau's notification comes with additional funding for the training.
For now, the state Guard will continue with its usual training and send soldiers through routine medical checkups to make sure they're ready for deployment.
"We have ongoing things we do to make sure soldiers are available and ready to deploy anywhere, anytime," Lynch said. "All these little things will get looked at, but ramped up, with more sense of purpose."
The soldiers notified of possible deployment to Guantanamo Bay also will wait for the final go-ahead.
The Arkansas National Guard's 119th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment is based at Fisher Armory in North Little Rock and comprises soldiers from all over the state.
The unit has deployed to Guantanamo Bay before.
In 2003 and 2004, the detachment's service members wrote and produced broadcast and print stories; distributed Joint Task Force Guantanamo's newsletter; and handled media visits.
"There's a lot of interest in Guantanamo," Lynch said.
President Barack Obama pledged while campaigning in 2008 to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison, but has faced opposition in Congress to closing it on the grounds that transferring the detainees would be unsafe.
Metro on 07/16/2015