688th MAC leaves Harrison for Ft. McCoy, then Baghdad (Staff Photo/Lee H. Dunlap) - Harrison Daily Times
Soldiers with the 688th MAC (Mobile Augmentation Company) said goodbye to family and friends Wednesday (4/16/08) in the parking lot at the U.S. Army Reserve headquarters on West Sherman in Harrison. Dressed in digital camouflage, the soldiers fell into formation and boarded buses for the trip to Ft. McCoy, Wis., where they will receive 30 to 45 days of additional training before being depoyed to Baghdad, Iraq. This is the second deployment to Iraq for many soldiers in the unit. The Harrison Reserve unit was known as Charlie Company when mobilized for its first assignment in Iraq. At Fort McCoy, the 122 soldiers will join other units for final training. The 688th MAC will serve under the 890th Engineer Battalion of the National Guard out of Mississippi. It already is at Ft. McCoy. The battalion is an administrative unit that "logistically supports" three to 14 companies, serving as middle management so companies can be more mission focused. In Iraq, the 866th MAC will fall under the 926th Engineer Brigade. The Harrison unit is staffed with combat engineers. Their main responsibility is reconnaissance and clearing roads of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). Soldiers in the company agree that they will be armed with "some top of the line equipment the Army has to offer. This is the new stuff you read about," said Capt. Mark Richardson, commander of the 866th MAC. Looking at his soldiers, "About 65 percent have been deployed before," he continued. "Most of the senior leadership has combat experience. That should help when things get rough." "The soldiers are excited," he said a week before the soldiers left Harrison. "They have mixed feelings, some look forward to it, but they have to leave their families. We know it's an honor to serve our country. That's what we do ... protect freedom." Soldiers started training in January 2008 for this mission. The Harrison Reserve unit includes several area residents along with soldiers from as far away as Little Rock; St. Louis; San Antonio and Mesquite, Texas; and Oklahoma.