Illinois soldiers deploy to Djibouti

(The Center Square) – The Illinois National Guard has mobilized a security assistance team for deployment to the African Republic of Djibouti.

Seven soldiers comprise the Sixth Battalion 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade.

Lt. Col. Matthew Kreiter, commander of the Sixth 54 Security Forces Assistance Battalion, said the battalion is a military unit that’s specifically trained to engage with foreign military partners. The team from Illinois will help advise the Djibouti military.

“It’s been an ongoing mission for some time now, as they are a strong partner of the U.S. The intent there is really just to strengthen our footprint as well as our partners’ capabilities over there in Africa,” Kreiter said.

The battalion is based at Rock Island Arsenal. Kreiter said the people in this unit have already been in command or leadership roles.

“Having come from those leadership positions, it gives them a real opportunity to kind of exploit their capabilities and help further their career,” Kreiter said.

The deployment to Djibouti is expected to last about six months.

A mission like this can help National Guard recruiting efforts, Kreiter said.

“It absolutely does. Soldiers want to be engaged in challenging situations and have the opportunity to interact with partner forces and really showcase their capabilities,” Kreiter explained.

The Sixth Battalion 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade has sent soldiers to three different continents this summer.

Kreiter recently returned from a mission in Romania while another group from the battalion deployed in the Philippines. Kreiter said the units help build militaries in those countries.

“Specifically, we’re a logistics-advising unit, so we’re really focusing on the logistics advising, improving sustainment for our partner forces,” Kreiter said.

The security assistance missions are funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.