The Shadow
PFC Shawn M. Wolfe, son of Christine Andrews-Wolfe of Clifton Forge and Vernon Wolfe of Selma, along with PFC Robert Wright Jr., son of Judy and Robert Wright Sr. of Covington, are among soldiers heading to Afghanistan.
Wolfe and Wright are both recent Boot Camp graduates of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and are with the Mercer County-based Military Police Unit headquartered in Bluefield, W.Va.
After their departure ceremony Thursday in Bluefield, they will be going to Fort Bliss, Texas, for several weeks to train on their warrior task before heading to Afghanistan.
While America’s war in Afghanistan may be winding down, the mission is far from over for the local soldiers. The unit will be on active duty for a year with about nine months of that time in Afghanistan away from home and their families.
This is not the first time the company has been ordered to active military service and is the fourth time since it became headquartered in Bluefield on April 4, 1963.
The 304th was constituted on Jan. 6, 1942 as a prisoner of war escort and redesignated as an MP Escort Guard Company on April 1, 1942, remaining in that capacity throughout the duration of World War II. The unit was activated two additional times in Kentucky before being moved to Bluefield on April 4, 1963.
The company was ordered into active military service on May 4, 1991, deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Shield. It operated a prisoner of war camp during Operation Desert Storm and was deactivated and reverted to reserve status on May 4, 1991.
The unit was activated again on July 2, 1996 and deployed to Germany until March 27, 1997. It was activated again from Dec. 6, 2002 to Dec. 5, 2003 for duty at Fort Stewart.
The families ask that residents applaud, support and rally behind all the soldiers of the 304th MP Unit of the U.S. Army Reserves and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
These families are very proud of their commitment to their country and state.
