North Carolina National Guard Citizen-Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment returned to North Carolina via the Onslow County airport Sept. 2 after serving a year in the Middle East as part of Operation Spartan Shield.
The battalion's mission was to train and build relationship with the allied military, as well as provide food, water, mail, fuel and ammunition to forward-deployed troops in seven Middle Eastern countries. Operation Spartan Shield is an effort to take full control of the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and particularly the Strait of Hormuz which is used by commercial ships in the region.
Headquartered in Wilmington, this is the battalion's third deployment to the Middle East since 2004.
"I and extremely proud of the Tuskhog battalion's accomplishments. They successfully completed their mission in the Middle East combining warrior and diplomatic skills, building lasting relationships with our allies in the region," said Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, Adjutant General of North Carolina.