Homestead's 930th Detachment Departs For Afghanistan Deployment

HOMESTEAD (CBSMiami) – A South Florida Army National Guard unit is headed back to Afghanistan once again.

In 2002, the 930th Army Liaison Team was the second Florida Army National Guard unit to deploy for the Global War on Terror. Now more than a decade later, the unit is re-designated as the 930th Digital Liaison Detachment (DLD) and deploying again to Afghanistan.

Twenty-five members of the 930th DLD deployed Monday following a departure ceremony at their headquarters in Homestead. After additional training at Camp Shelby, Miss., the soldiers will travel to eastern Afghanistan where they will perform liaison duty between U.S. and coalition forces along the Pakistani border.

For 930th Commander Col. Abe Conn this will be his third deployment to Afghanistan with the unit, but he is no less motivated than he was the first time.

"I'm excited," he explained. "This is like our 'Superbowl' and there is not a person in the unit that doesn't want to go."

He said this deployment is reminiscent of the first 930th deployment, when the soldiers packed up and left right after Thanksgiving and missed Christmas at home.

"The guys are prepared for it," Conn said. "Thank God we got to spend Thanksgiving here with our families, but we should be home (about the same time next year)."

The 930th's Sgt. Maj. Ben Ullery said the soldiers' spirits are definitely high despite leaving in the middle of the holidays.

"All the guys are extremely motivated," he said. "There's not one person here that doesn't want to be here, and that makes all the difference in the world."