Albert Lea unit not part of mission

Nearly 700 Minnesota Army National Guard Soldiers from the Rosemount-based 34th Red Bull Infantry Division will be mobilized to support humanitarian relief in Liberia in spring 2015.

Division units are located in Minnesota and Iowa, but that deployment will not include the unit based on Prospect Avenue in Albert Lea, according to a unit spokesman.

However, soldiers at each unit in the division generally come from around the Upper Midwest, which means there could be Albert Lea area residents in nearby units going to West Africa.

The soldiers going to West Africa will provide the command and control of U.S. military forces deployed as part of Operation United Assistance, the military effort supporting the United States Agency for International Development’s response to the Ebola virus outbreak in Liberia.

“Our mission will be to coordinate all of the Department of Defense resources in Liberia to support USAID and the government of Liberia to contain the Ebola virus, and ultimately save lives,” said Army Maj. Gen. Rick Nash, the adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard.

The specific duties of the Minnesota National Guard soldiers will be to synchronize the operations, logistics, personnel and resources of the U.S. military forces assigned to the area. The Red Bulls will not be responsible for treating Ebola patients.

“And importantly for the Liberian people,” Nash said, “the Minnesota National Guard presence will provide confidence that something can and will be done to stop the spread of disease.”

U.S. Army Division Headquarters have been tasked to provide command and control for Operation United Assistance. Since November 2014, the Fort Campbell-based 101st Airborne Division has led the first rotation of this humanitarian mission. The soldiers of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division are expected to depart Minnesota in March 2015 for pre-mobilization training before deploying to Monrovia, Liberia, in April 2015 to assume command from the 101st Airborne Division.

All troops deploying to West Africa will receive specific medical training — developed in conjunction with U.S. Army Public Health Command — and utilize specialized personal protective equipment to ensure they are protected from exposure.

“Preserving the health of our soldiers is the highest priority for this mission,” said Army Maj. Gen. Neal Loidolt, commanding general of the 34th Infantry Division. “Extra steps are being taken to protect the soldiers’ health, including personnel protective equipment and educating the soldiers about the diseases prevalent in the area.”

The Red Bulls are expected to be deployed in Liberia for approximately six months.