10.21.13

Hoeven Pays Tribute to 191st Military Police Company

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today spoke at the Freedom Salute held in honor of the 29 members of the US Army Reserve’s 191st Military Police Company who recently returned from their year-long deployment in Cuba. The soldiers provided police, detainment and stability operations as part of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. The mission of the Task Force was to conduct safe, humane, legal and transparent care and custody of detainees, as well as conducting intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination.

“We were so proud of you at your sendoff last October at the Armed Forces Center here in Fargo, and now we are proud and happy to welcome you home,” Hoeven said. “Having been to GTMO, I know the challenges and, above all, the importance of the work you did there. Now we have an opportunity to pay tribute to you and your families, who also make sacrifices for our country.”

The 191st Military Police Company is headquartered in Fargo, with detachments in Mayville and Bismarck and includes 175 soldiers from 15 communities from across North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. The deployed soldiers were led by Lt. Col. Mark Tibor of Bismarck, Maj. William Nels of Surrey served as deputy commander and1st Sgt. Dean Richter of Bismarck served as senior enlisted leader.

Hoeven has reviewed operations at Guantanamo Bay and said the military is managing the center professionally and effectively. He is a cosponsor of legislation to maintain Guantanamo Bay as an open and operating facility for current and future detainees. He is a member of the Senate Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee.