CONCORD, NH — A deployment ceremony for the New Hampshire Army National Guard’s Operational Support Airlift, Detachment 18 (OSA DET 18) will be held Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Army Aviation Support Facility on 26 Regional Drive in Concord.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.
Based in Concord, the fixed-wing aviation unit is scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan later this year. The seven-man detachment will conduct aerial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for Special Operations command in support Operation Freedom Sentinel. It reports to Fort Bliss, Texas next week for mobilization training.
This marks the detachment’s fourth deployment– and second to Afghanistan — in the last 12 years. Formed in 1995, OSA DET 18’s primary mission is medium range transportation of military passengers and sensitive cargo. NH crews have operated throughout the U.S. and Latin America. It deployed to Kuwait in 2007 and 2014; and Afghanistan in 2010. Each time the detachment supported aerial ISR missions.
“Over the past decade, OSA DET 18 has performed a key role gathering critical enemy intelligence in support U.S. and allied ground operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other contested regions throughout the Middle East,” said NH Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities. “The collective expertise and experience of these New Hampshire aviators and support crew is unparalleled.”
