
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 9, 1991                   TAG: 9104090632
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

GATE CITY GUARD UNIT RETURNING TO VA.

The headquarters unit of the Virginia National Guard's 1030th Engineer Battalion of Gate City will return home Monday from Saudi Arabia.

The 35 soldiers will arrive at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., and move on to Fort A.P. Hill near Bowling Green, the Army said.

The 1030th Engineers were called to active duty on Nov. 21 and were sent to Saudi Arabia on Dec. 12.

Nori Darden, an Army spokeswoman, said the unit will be at Fort A.P. Hill for five to seven days.

There has been no word on when the other seven Virginia Guard units deployed to Saudi Arabia will come home, although members from some units have returned.

A total of 777 of the 856 Virginia National Guard members who were mobilized saw service in the Gulf War.

The 1030th did port maintenance, overseeing units responsible for water purification, underwater construction and firefighting. It suffered no casualties during the fighting.

One Virginia Guard soldier, Pfc. Pamela Gay, 19, of Surry, died in the operation. She was killed March 10 in a military vehicle accident.

by CNB