The National Guard’s quiet role in Iraq, Syria and Jordan
By Meghann Myers
Mar 1, 05:00 AM
Soldiers with theNew Jersey National Guard's 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team during a deployment ceremony Jan. 14. ( Spc. Michael Schwenk/Army National Guard)
In December, 39 Missouri National Guardsmen received Combat Infantryman Badges, the formal recognition given only to troops who have engaged in “active ground combat,” for actions that took place during their 2023 deployment to Syria.
It was a somewhat uncommon occasion. Taking hostile fire in the Middle East had become more of a rarity for conventional troops in recent years, as the U.S. pared down its missions in Iraq and Syria.
But it’s become more commonplace since October as troops deployed to the Middle East have regularly faced drone, mortar and missile attacks from Iran-backed militias, totaling more than 180 injuries in 170 incidents.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2024/03/01/the-national-guards-quiet-role-in-iraq-syria-and-jordan/
