FORT POLK, La. (12/16/10) – The Colorado Army National Guard’s second Operational Mentor and Liaison Team completed two months of training complete with a graduation.

Soldiers have been receiving language, counterinsurgency, improvised explosive device and various other pre-mobilization training.

The team ended its training with a three-day capstone training event. Soldiers planned and executed several missions and subjected themselves to simulated attacks with limited sleep.

Like any deploying unit, they trained on convoys, reacting to improvised explosive devices, reacting to enemy contact and interacting with local villagers. But unlike your typical deploying unit, they had to plan for and with, and account for, their Afghan National Army counterparts.

One of the things that make the OMLT-2’s mission so unique is those ANA counterparts. They’re job isn’t to fight the war or support the warfighters; their job is to create the warfighters.

The other is the fact that the 12 men who make up the Colorado Army National Guard OMLT-2 will partner with Slovenian soldiers before they head to Afghanistan to train and mentor the ANA. The Guardsmen and Slovenes will train together, deploy together and return together as one unit.

OMLT-2 will be the second Colorado-Slovene unit to deploy to Afghanistan. The first unit is already serving in Afghanistan mentoring ANA Soldiers.

Slovenia and Colorado have been partners for more than 14 years as part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, and the OMLT, using SPP as a springboard, is an important part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force contribution towards the development of the Afghan National Army.

This unique unit has attracted a number of interested Soldiers. OMLT-1 and OMLT-2 had well more than 120 applicants vying for positions in the two 12-man teams.

Capt. Luke Booth, left the active-duty Army in June and moved back to Wyoming. Since it had both infantry and Special Forces units, the COARNG was where he started looking to continue his service. After hearing of the OMLT mission he immediately volunteered. He has been with the OMLT-2 since July.

“While I was in Iraq I saw the impact the MITT [Military Transition Team] teams were making on the battlefield. It was tremendous. They were living and working with the Iraqis,” said Booth. “When this job came up, I knew this was the type of mission I wanted to do for my next deployment.”

Booth returned from Iraq a little more than a year ago. Now his first experience with the COARNG is preparing for a deployment.

“It has been refreshing. I am here with a group of professional, motivated Soldiers that are here because they want to be,” Booth continued. “I have been very impressed. The professionalism, civilian education and civilian skill set that Guardsmen bring to the table is very complimentary to this mission.”

While one Soldier came from the active duty, another came from halfway across the nation.

Sgt. 1st Class Roger Brandt lives in New York, where he’s working on his master’s in real estate at New York University. He left Colorado but not the Colorado Guard. Like Booth, it was the infantry that was his deciding factor. Brandt had been drilling with the 1st Battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment’s Scout Platoon before volunteering for this position.

“These chances don’t come around very often in the Guard,” said Brandt. “The fact that it is with the Slovenes is all the better.”

After a holiday break to spend time with their families, the unit’s next stop is Slovenia, where they will meet their Slovenian army counterparts and begin training together as a complete unit, developing the relationships necessary to operate as one.