Gardnerville soldier prepares for deployment to Afghanistan

Gardnerville National Guardsman Eric Wood knows the importance of training, especially when soldiers prepare for war on similar terrain.

"With the training we did at Fort Irwin, we saw the mistakes a lot of soldiers were doing," said the staff sergeant on Friday as soldiers in Yerington's Alpha Troop of the 1st Squadron 221st Cavalry began their weekend drill.

Approximately 600 guardsmen " most from three units in Las Vegas " recently received their alert notification for overseas deployment.

Wood previously deployed with the squadron when it was assigned from 2004-2006 to conduct opposing forces missions at Ft. Irwin, a sprawling U.S. Army installation in the Mojave Desert, 35 miles northeast of Barstow, Calif.

He said the land formations there and in Nevada is no different than what guardsmen will encounter on an overseas deployment.

"I told a lot of them that the terrain here resembles what we'll see in Afghanistan," Wood said.

Meanwhile, Nevada Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Johnny Deal of Carson City returned from an individual volunteer tour to Iraq in July 2007. Like Wood, he wants to see the younger soldiers excel.

"I have a lot of young soldiers I want to see return," Deal said. "We want to make sure we get the right amount of training to get back home."

Deal knows his overseas experience will assist the younger soldiers.

"In Iraq, everything I learned is helpful," Deal said.

Since the 1/221st returned from Ft. Irwin in 2006, Wood said many of the experienced guardsmen left the service. Now, many new faces have come to the unit.

"A lot of new troops are excited about going overseas," Wood said.

Between now and the time the squadron reports for additional stateside training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., the 221st Cav will spend two weeks in early February at Camp Roberts a California Army National Guard training site north of San Luis Obispo.

Once in Afghanistan, the soldiers will convoy to Laghman Province to provide security for a provincial reconstruction team that is rebuilding the country. They will also conduct combat and infantry missions to ensure civil order.

Yet, the local training for the Yerington troop, which includes soldiers from Carson City, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Sparks, Fernley and Fallon, also has prepared guardsmen for the dangers of performing their mission half a world away. Soldiers have received additional instruction in convoy operations and military operations on urban terrain. Both the Fallon Naval Air Station and Hawthorne Army Depot have constructed sites to help soldiers refine their skills in securing buildings.

Capt. Nicholas T. Moran, unit commander, said soldiers will find this mission "enjoyable."

"They'll be able to interact with the locals," said Moran, who assumed command in September. "There's a lot of variety in the work, and many soldiers are volunteering to come with us."

This will be the third deployment in this decade for the 221st Cav. After 9/11, selected members were called up to provide airport security, and in 2004, the 221st took the place of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin, Calif., and acted as the opposing forces in training units headed to Iraq.