Forty-one MSU students and faculty members serving in the National Guard will leave Sunday to spend three months in military training at Camp Shelby, before taking part in combat readiness exercises in California and being deployed to the Middle East.
“The latest round of activation involved the 114th Field Artillery Unit which is part of the 155th Brigade,” White said. “When it was activated about 41 students and faculty were called in.”
The latest group will become a part of the largest Mississippi unit called up yet, Dean of Students Mike White said, but several members of the Mississippi State family have already been called to serve in the military operations in Iraq.
The first major deployment of MSU students occurred in the spring of 2003, said Veterans Administration supervisor Lorene Cox.
“Since March of 2003 about 125 MSU students and faculty have served in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom,” Cox said. “Approximately 60 students have already served their country and returned to school.”
Students called to serve in Iraq have already gone through basic training and advanced individual training, said Lt. Col. Mark McManigal, a professor of military science for ROTC.
“Juniors and seniors in our program are contracted under the Simultaneous Members Program and are members of ROTC and the Army National Guard. That contract does not allow them to be called into military action while they are upperclassmen in school,” McManigal said.
Cox explained that there might be more students and faculty who are serving or have been called to serve that the university does not know about.
“The latest deployment was announced before the start of the fall term, so some students may have simply dropped their schedules without notifying the Registrar’s office of their reasons,” Cox said. “Similarly, some faculty who have been with MSU for a while may be using their paid leave while serving overseas.”
“The activation of MSU students has had a very emotional impact on family members, fellow students and me as the dean of students,” White said. “Our prayers and thoughts are with them as we pray for their safe return to MSU and their families.”
Cox noted that the activation of fellow students brings the reality of war closer to home for fellow students and faculty.
“Any time that we have students and faculty activated it makes us more aware of what’s going on in the world,” Cox said.
“Ever since 9-11 occurred everybody has been affected. It’s affecting the department of defense across the board,” McManigal said.
White said even those who disagree with the political reasons behind the military actions should lend their support to those serving in the Middle East.
“Regardless of your opinion on the issues we all have a duty to support our Mississippi State family involved in military service,” White said.