Soldiers prepare for deployment

WORLAND — At least 14 soldiers from the Big Horn Basin will be deployed this spring and summer with the Wyoming Army National Guard.

According to Deidre Forster, public affairs director for the Wyoming Military Department, “We are tracking at least 14 soldiers deploying from Thermopolis, Worland, Lovell, Powell and Greybull. The majority will be deploying with the 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery in May. The others will be going out with the 115th Field Artillery Brigade units later in the summer.”

Forster noted that units deploying later this summer may have some changes to personnel so the numbers of troops deployed from the Basin may change.

Currently they are tracking six soldiers from Worland, three from Thermopolis, two from Lovell, two from Greybull and one from Powell.

One soldier from Worland is 1st Lt. Andrew Skretteberg. Skretteberg has served with the Wyoming Army National Guard for seven years. He said he joined the Guard while in college as a “spur of the moment decision.” He joined the ROTC and is currently into his fourth year of his six-year officer contract.

Skretteberg serves as a liaison officer and this will be his first deployment.

He said he just recently found out he will be deployed next month so it has been a “whirlwind getting ready” for he and his wife.

“I’ve been serving for seven years. I’m excited to go,” Skretteberg said. He added the Worland High School has a “pretty rich tradition” of people serving the country in the military.

A May 8 ceremony for the soldiers being deployed is being planned. More details on the ceremony will be published as they become available.

According to Forster, the 2-300th soldiers will be deploying to various locations in the Middle East in support of operations in that area. After leaving Wyoming they will have follow-on training in Texas before heading overseas.

The Northern Wyoming News is willing to publish the names of other Big Horn Basin soldiers who are being deployed. Due to regulations, names of soldiers are not released by the military, but can be released by the soldiers themselves. Call the NWN at 347-3241 or [email protected].