BY JENNIFER WEAVER • jeweaver@thespectrum.
com • March 4, 2010
CEDAR CITY - In anticipation of imminent
deployment, the 2nd Battalion, 222nd Field Artillery
Unit of the Utah National Guard, with soldiers from
across Southern Utah, will begin training in Fort
Stewart, Ga., beginning the day after Mother's Day.
Maj. Robert Warden said the battalion was sourced a
few months ago and is anticipating an alert this
month for a one year notification before deploying
with a brigade from Kentucky to the Middle East in
Operation New Dawn in March 2011.
Retired Sgt. First Class Wes Peterson, of the 222nd,
was leery about saying too much because his 24-
year-old son, Shawn Peterson, will be training with
the battalion and potentially deploying overseas
once the orders are official.
"You know we're always a little bit nervous. We were
nervous the first time and this time would be no
different," Peterson said, who has 25 years of Guard
experience with the Triple Deuce. "We are concerned
for him and all the members of the military and the
222nd specifically."
What he did say without hesitation is how important
the training is to the field artillery unit and its use of
the M109A6 Paladin - a highly advanced
maneuverable weapons platform in the U.S. Army's
inventory.
"You can't get enough training. The annual training
is vital to their unit and as individual soldiers,"
Peterson said
Warden said the mission's headquarters will be in
Kuwait but part of the brigade will go to Iraq, taking
with it some members of the 450-member battalion
comprised of soldiers from Beaver, Fillmore,
Richfield, Cedar City and St. George.
"It's never been known for a unit that has been
sourced to have not been deployed. It's pretty sure
that we will, even though we're getting alerted some
time this month," Warden said. "We will be able to
maintain our field artillery training in Fort Stewart in
May, which is important because our main focus is
to make sure the crew drills on the artillery guns
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20100304/NEWS01/3040307 
