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OPERATION TARHEEL THUNDER
THE MISSION

Simply put, the mission is to undergo the most intense mechanized combat training in the world and prepare our soldiers to fight and win on any battlefield, anywhere, anytime.

The Tarheel State Task Force has mobilized and deployed to Ft. Irwin, Calif., to support the intensive combat training that the 30^th Brigade Combat Team (BCT), North Carolina Army National Guard, will go through from May 31 to June 21 at the National Training Center (NTC). The event dubbed "Operation Tarheel Thunder" will involve more than 4,600 North Carolina soldiers. Ultimately, some 7,000 troops from around the country will join in this exercise that will involve soldiers and airmen from 16 states.

The NTC is designed to allow large, heavy, mechanized units to train in scenarios as close to actual combat as possible. The concept comes out of studies finding units in combat for the first time usually suffer the highest losses. This training simulates combat closely so that soldiers know what to expect on a battlefield, which improves their ability to survive and win wars.

The Brigade is one of eight Guard brigades nationwide designated as "enhanced heavy," because it is equipped with state-of-the-art, heavy armor pieces like the M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank. The eight Guard brigades rotate through the NTC once every eight years.

Updated 8 May 2003

The North Carolina National Guard - We Stand Ready!

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