1140th Military Police Company returns from service in Afghanistan

By: Silas Allen
Unit Public Affairs Representative






FULTON, Mo. - The Missouri National Guard welcomed members of the 1140th Military Police Company home from a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan at a ceremony on April 17.

The 174-member unit has been deployed to Afghanistan's Parwan Province since April 2009. The company also drew Soldiers from the 1175th and 1138th Military Police Companies. During the deployment, the unit operated a military detention facility in the province.

During the ceremony, Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, thanked the families of the deployed Soldiers for their support during the deployment. The burden on families of deployed service members is a heavy one, Danner said. He also thanked the Soldiers for their service, and congratulated them on a job well done.

"For the toughest mission in the world, we sent the toughest Soldiers in the world," Danner said.

During his address to the unit, Gov. Jay Nixon said the Soldiers have earned the thanks of their state. Nixon said he understood the burden of families of deployed Soldiers, and would continue to support the Soldiers and their families.

"We will continue to keep you and your families in our prayers and stand behind you all the time," Nixon said.

Nixon also explained Show-Me Heroes, an initiative designed to promote employment opportunities for Veterans. Under the initiative, Missouri employers sign a pledge to consider hiring a Veteran for open positions. Nixon said he hoped the initiative would allow Soldiers to be confident in the knowledge that a job would be waiting for them when they returned. The initiative was launched while the unit was deployed.

"When a job comes open in our state, I want a Veteran's resume on the top of the stack," Nixon said.

Capt. Jon-Yves Bellers, the company's commander, said the unit's return to the United States was not without incident. The unit was waiting for a flight at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan during the recent coup in the country. About 155 members of the unit were locked down at the air base. While they waited for another flight out of the country, Bellers said the unit provided additional security for the base.

"We were there in case the unruly mobs decided to come to the base," he said.

The 1140th Military Police Company is based in Fulton, with a detachment in Columbia. While deployed, the company fell under the command and control of the 136th Military Police Battalion of the Texas National Guard. The returning team was replaced by the 190th Military Police Company of the Georgia National Guard.



Posted: 4/20/2010 11:36:36 AM