More than 400 members of the New Jersey Army National Guard have been notified that they will be called to extended active duty service under Title 10 USC in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the ongoing war against global terrorism.

     The troops will be drawn primarily from 50th Brigade units to include Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 50th Brigade headquartered in Lawrenceville, New Jersey; Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 2nd Battalion 113th Infantry (2-113th) headquartered in Riverdale; A Company and B Company, 2-113th both headquartered in Newark; C Company, 2-113th headquartered in Woodbridge; and the 350th Finance Detachment headquartered in Flemington.

     The Jersey Guard troops are expected to deploy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to provide security at the Detention Facility housing suspected Taliban and other terrorists from Afghanistan and the Southwest Asia theater of operations.  The deployment is expected to last up to 18 months and is part of the 2nd round of rotations of Guard and Reserve units called up in support of Operations Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom.

     A “media availability” with troops will be scheduled between April 16, 2004 and May 16, 2004.

     The 50th Brigade previously was headquartered at the National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters Building at Fort Dix and is under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Caruso of Burlington, N.J.

     Brigade units currently are located in Atlantic City, Burlington, Cherry Hill, Dover, Fort Dix, Freehold, Hackettstown, Jersey City, Lawrenceville, Morristown, Mount Holly, Newark, Newton, Port Murray, Riverdale, Toms River, Vineland, West Orange, Woodbridge, Woodbury, and Woodstown.  

     The 50th Brigade comprises approximately two-thirds of the New Jersey Army National Guard and includes the 2nd Battalion, 102nd Armor; the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry; 3rd Battalion, 112th Field Artillery; the 1st Battalion, 114th Infantry, and the 5th Squadron, 117th Cavalry.

     To date, more than 850 New Jersey Army and Air National Guard members have been mobilized and deployed for extended active duty in support of a variety of Homeland Defense and Homeland Security missions.  Jersey troops currently provide security at the state's two nuclear facilities, Fort Dix, Ft Monmouth, Picatinny Arsenal, Mc Guire Air Force Base, and the Air Guard Base located at the Atlantic City International Airport.