Oklahoma Army National Guard medevac unit deploys to Kosovo
The 169th is deploying to Kosovo to provide medical evacuation operations using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
In the US, nearly 30 Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen from Detachment 1, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, 90th Troop Command, took part in a deployment ceremony held on 14 May at the Muldrow Army Heliport. The 169th is deploying to Kosovo to provide medical evacuation operations using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in support of Operation Joint Guardian. They will be attached to 1st Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment. They will travel to the Balkan province following mobilisation training at Fort Hood, Texas.
“We’ll be providing medevac support for NATO and US Forces,” said 1st Lt Matthew Richardson, commander of the deploying unit. The deployment is Richardson’s first. He leaves behind his wife and two children. He added: “It’s a huge responsibility. It’s stressful, but I’m ready to get out the door and get past this first hurdle.”
One of those hurdles is leaving his civilian job, noted the Guard. Richardson serves full-time as a police officer for the city of Edmond, Oklahoma. Upon his return to the civilian workforce, he will have been away for nearly a year. “They’ve been very supportive letting me come up here and get ready for deployment,” Richardson said, after spending nearly two months on active-duty orders to prepare for the deployment.