Local soldiers on duty in Afghanistan
<p><strong>Lt. Col. Kevin Settle</strong>, commander of the 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Montana National Guard, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, speaks to two Ohio National Guard units during a transfer-of-authority ceremony Sunday at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. </p>
Some 60 soldiers of the Kalispell-based 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion are now on duty in Afghanistan.
Members of the 495th, a unit of the Montana National Guard, left the Flathead Valley in early November 2012 for training in Texas before heading to Afghanistan.
In a ceremony Sunday at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, two Ohio National Guard units transferred authority to the 495th.
The Ohio units of the 1486th Transportation Company were completing a nine-month deployment.
“1486 did exceptionally well at providing sustainment operations to the warfighter,” 495th commander Lt. Col. Kevin Settle said during Sunday’s changing of the guard.
“As we continue to execute historical operations, we welcome 1487 to Afghanistan.”
The Montana battalion participated in an earlier change-of-command ceremony on Jan. 5 in Kandahar involving the 117th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, New Jersey National Guard.