03/19/2003

WARWICK -- It's a now-familiar snapshot of life in wartime, or on the eve of war: families saying tearful goodbyes as the men and women of the Guard and Reserves ship out to the Persian Gulf.

Some leave in big detachments, in a convoy of 100 military vehicles headed south on Route 95. Others go in small groups, in civilian clothes, standing in line at a ticket counter at T.F. Green Airport, blending in with vacationers bound for Disney World.

Four members of the Rhode Island National Guard's 281st Combat Communications Group left yesterday, on Southwest Airlines. They were to catch a second commercial flight in Baltimore, with a final destination in the Gulf.

Seven other members of the 281st had left two days earlier, and 11 more are set to follow tomorrow.

Their job, if the invasion order comes, will be to set up communications gear in and around combat areas in Iraq, which will enable the military to communicate by radio, telephone, fax and e-mail.

A man whose sister shipped out yesterday said it felt odd to see her off to a dangerous part of the world while he was still awaiting orders from his own Guard unit.

"It's definitely different," he said.

Governor Carcieri and Secretary of State Matt Brown turned out to see the Guard members off shortly after 8 a.m. Carcieri urged the families to send their loved ones "lots of letters" while they're away, and expressed hope they might yet come home without having seen combat.

"I still hope [Saddam] will be either forced out or will leave," he said.

The 281st is the 15th Guard and Reserve unit to be deployed from Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Status of local military units

The following units based in Rhode Island or Southeastern Massachusetts have been deployed:

Marine Reserves, General Support Motor Transport Company, Providence.

Air National Guard, 143rd Airlift Wing, Quonset (Security Forces); Southwest Asia.

Air National Guard, 143rd Airlift Wing, Quonset (Communications); Southwest Asia.

Air National Guard, 143rd Airlift Wing, Quonset (Aerial Port Squadron); Turkey.

Air National Guard, headquarters; Kyrgyzstan.

Air National Guard, 281st Combat Communications Group, Coventry; Southwest Asia.

Air National Guard, 282nd Combat Communications Squadron, North Smithfield; Southwest Asia.

Air National Guard, 102nd Information Warfare Squadron, Coventry; Southwest Asia.

Army National Guard, 101st Field Artillery Battery E Target Forward, Rehoboth.

Army National Guard 772d, Military Police Company, Taunton.

Army National Guard, 1st Battalion, 103rd Field Artillery Brigade, Providence, Quonset (Security Forces).

Army National Guard, C Battery, 1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery, Fall River, mobilized throughout the Northeast for homeland security purposes.

Army National Guard, 1207th Transportation Company, East Greenwich; Fort Dix, N.J.

Army National Guard, 118th Military Police Battalion, Warwick; Fort Drum, N.Y.

Army National Guard, 119th Military Police Company, Warwick; Fort Drum, N.Y.

Army National Guard, 115th Military Police Company, Cranston; Fort Drum, N.Y.