By Elizabeth Poe

Several Naval Air Depot Cherry Point employees who serve in the North Carolina National Guard are deploying to Iraq with the 694th Maintenance Company.

The unit, comprised of 206 guardsmen, left New Bern Sept. 9 to attend theater specific and force protection training at Camp Atterbury in Indiana. Toward the end of November, the 694th will have completed training and will deploy to Iraq.

Once in-country, the guardsmen will repair wheeled vehicles, generators, communication and electrical equipment. A staple of the 694th is the contact truck, which has welders, cutting and other precision tools to allow the unit to repair in the field wherever they are needed.

This is the first deployment to Iraq for the 694th Maintenance Company. The unit has previously provided support for Hurricanes Isabel, Floyd, Fran and Bertha as well as the 1998 winter storm operations.

The 12 NADEP guardsmen deploying with the 694th Maintenance Company are CW4 Roger Heath, Sgt. Phillip Burge, Sgt. William Wilkinson, Sgt. J.L. Wetherington, Sgt. J.L. Harrell, Sgt. Prudencio Irisarry Jr., Staff Sgt. Antonio Prioleau, Sgt. William Heath, Staff Sgt. Dennis Learned, Sgt. Roberto Esparza, Sgt. Marc Spain and 1st Lt. Christopher Lee.

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Cutline: Naval Air Depot employees prepare to deploy to Iraq with the 694th Maintenance Company of the North Carolina National Guard. The 12 NADEP Guardsmen are CW4 Roger Heath, Sgt. Phillip Burge, Sgt. William Wilkinson, Sgt. J.L. Wetherington, Sgt. J.L. Harrell, Sgt. Prudencio Irisarry Jr., Staff Sgt. Antonio Prioleau, Sgt. William Heath, Staff Sgt. Dennis Learned, Sgt. Roberto Esparza, Sgt. Marc Spain and 1st Lt. Christopher Lee.
Photo by by Elizabeth Poe