SLU Hosts Military Deployment Ceremonies

More than 400 family members and military officers attended the special event last Friday at the Center for Global Citizenship. Two SLU students are among those being deployed.

Saint Louis University hosted deployment ceremonies at the Center for Global Citizenship Friday, Jan. 20, for the Missouri Army National Guard's Companies C and B, 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry Regiment, from St. Louis, who are leaving for the final segment of their training before departing for a year-long service deployment overseas.

The companies include Captain Ryan Alban, a third-year student at the School of Law, and Staff Sergeant Nicole Howell-Abercrombie, who attends the University’s School for Professional Studies.

The 138th is headquartered in Kansas City and maintains units in St. Louis (Bridgeton), Boonville, Perryville, Monett, Anderson and Jefferson City. The 1-138th Guardsmen serve in Missouri's only maneuver and infantry unit.

The regiment is relatively new to the Missouri Army National Guard.  The 1st Battalion, 138th Infantry, was granted federal recognition in January 2012.  The regiment was mustered in September 2010, with early implementation occurring in September 2009.  The unit began building, developing and equipping the regiment in September 2008.

Soldiers of the 138th Infantry have accomplished missions in support of Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and are preparing to man and support missions in support of Operation New Dawn.

The deployment ceremonies were hosted by SLU’s Military and Veteran Enrollment Services.

Saint Louis University is a proud member of the Service members Opportunity Colleges consortium, which ranks it among the Top 20 national universities on the U.S. News & World Report list of "Best Colleges for Veterans."

Learn more about SLU’s military benefits at military.slu.edu.