Capt. Lena Witham and about 80 other Maine Army National Guard members will head out this weekend for a mission in Poland, where they will train with other NATO nations as part of readiness exercises.
During a send-off ceremony Thursday at the University of Maine, Witham said the deployment is not related to the war in nearby Ukraine. A guard member for 19 years, with prior service as a flight medic and air medical physician assistant, she’ll serve as a public affairs officer to “tell the story of how we’re supporting NATO and building our partnership with Poland.”
“The group that’s going is amazing,” she said. “It’s different being able to go as a public affairs officer instead of doing medicine, being able to travel and see more things.”
She’ll leave behind her husband and 8-year-old daughter and credited them with being supportive, saying she couldn’t do it without them.
Hundreds of family members gathered in the field house in Orono for the 30-minute send-off, which featured remarks from Maj. Gen. Douglas Farnham, adjutant general, and Col. James Young, commander of the 120th Regional Support Group. Farnham read a letter from Gov. Janet Mills, who said the Atlantic Resolve mission represents “an ongoing presence in a part of the world drawing more attention than it has for some time.”
U.S. units have been part of Atlantic Resolve since 2014 and their mission is to build readiness through training events in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
Poland shares a 330-mile border with Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February, and has taken in an estimated 3.4 million refugees, according to the BBC.
“This deployment is a perfect example of the changing security environment,” Farnham said, adding that support for NATO “has never been more important and is our best chance to deter further aggression in that region.”
The 120th Regional Support Group traces its roots to 1880 with the formation of the Waterville Light Infantry. The company served in both world wars and then in 1967 was reorganized into the 240th Engineer Group. The group deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, clearing mines, building roads and constructing bases. In 2008, it was reorganized as the 120th.
Most recently, half the unit mobilized to Afghanistan on a facilities management mission in Kabul, returning in 2018.
Young, the unit commander, recognized the sacrifices of the families who will be left behind.
“It’s not an understatement to say many of you have a harder job” at home than those who are deployed, he said.
“Brigade morale is high,” he said. “We have assembled a phenomenal team, and we are proud to be asked to play a critical role in multi-national training and readiness support.”