Camp bustles anew

EDINBURGH — Nearly 5,000 soldiers will soon arrive at the Indiana National Guard’s Camp Atterbury to prepare for deployments to Afghanistan, giving the post its largest use since it became an Army training site six years ago.

The post will be near its capacity through March while an infantry brigade and 13 reconstruction units undergo training, National Guard Maj. Lisa Kopczynski said. Almost every barrack bed will be occupied at the base and the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center at Butlerville in Jennings County, she said.

“Even at peak capacity, we’ll ensure that every soldier gets solid training,” Kopczynski told the Daily Journal of Franklin.

About 3,000 soldiers coming to the base are members of a Vermont-based infantry brigade that will be assigned to combat operations. About 1,800 others are members of special units that will help rebuild the Afghan economy and strengthen the country’s government.

A few advance parties, which consist mostly of command staff, already are settling in at the post about 25 miles south of Indianapolis.

With the size of the operation, two out-of-state units of about 500 soldiers each have been assigned to help lead the training, Kopczynski said. Camp Atterbury normally has a staff of about 700 soldiers and civilians.

The National Guard will support the training units this winter by handling tasks such as arranging for interpreters or war game actors, Capt. Randy Lorenzo said.  “We’re the home team, so we’ll give them whatever support they need,” he said.

More than 50,000 troops have trained at Camp Atterbury for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars since 2003.

Both Camp Atterbury and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center have launched exercises that have reached into Jackson County, and both have in recent years employed Jackson County residents.