LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Las Vegas-based cavalry unit is going to Kuwait for an international security rotation.
And a group of Nevada Army National Guardsmen was given a formal sendoff ceremony Tuesday.
The United States is winding down overseas, but still deploying to support and stabilize relationships on a global scale.
“I’m actually very excited,” said Sgt. Jocelyne Villafane, a mechanic serving in the Nevada Army National Guard. “It’s something new, it’s something different.”
It will be 8,000 miles of difference.
And this tank company will work on different maneuvers and fine-tune their abilities in the field as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“This is going to be something that’s going to require constant growing as a person and just being able to adapt myself better as a soldier and as a person, overall,” said Villafane.
These National Guard deployments normally last around nine months to a year.
And this will be a chance to grow, as this will be the longest period Villafane has spent from home.
“There will always be nervousness, but the way we go about looking at it is we’re with extended family,” said her godmother Dana Lujan, an Army veteran herself. “Military is family, so you’re never alone. You will always have family around you.”
It is a rare opportunity to see another walk of life and to serve the star-spangled banner from an ocean away.
“It’s very mind-blowing,” said Villafane. “It’s so surreal. It’s something different. I just feel very proud to be able to do this.”
The Nevada Army National Guard will formally deploy to Kuwait early next year.
