NY Army National Guard Soldiers Leave for Fort Hood Training, Kuwait Deployment

NEW WINDSOR, NY — More than 50 New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 369th Sustainment Brigade will leave New York Friday for training at Fort Hood, TX.

After predeployment training, the soldiers will have a 10-month deployment to Kuwait later this year.

The brigade is commanded by Col. Steven Bousquet, a veteran of Afghanistan service for Operation Eduring Freedom.

The unit previously deployed troops to Mali and Cameroon in support of the United States Africa Command in training exercises with African militaries. Soldiers of the 369th also played a key role in providing logistics support during the New York National Guard's response to Super Storm Sandy in 2012.

The 369th Sustainment Brigade is headquartered at the historic 5th Avenue Armory in Harlem, New York City, but is currently operating out of Camp Smith while the armory is being renovated.

The 369th was originally organized as the 15th New York Infantry in 1916 in Harlem and was an African-American unit in the segregated Army of the time.

Photo caption: Command Sgt. Major Anthony McLean, left, and Col. Stephen Bousquet, roll up the 369th Sustainment Brigade colors, signifying the upcoming deployment, September 7, 2016. Photo credit: New York National Guard.