OCTOBER 15, 2026 – New York Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 204th Engineer Battalion are mobilizing to the nation’s southern border for Operation Ardent Vanguard, supporting border defense, detection, monitoring and infrastructure.
The battalion held a mobilization ceremony for its Headquarters and Headquarters Company on Oct. 8, while the Forward Support Company’s families held their official send-off on Oct. 11.
The two ceremonies marked the start of a yearlong mobilization as 120 Soldiers prepare to go to Texas to support the Border Patrol, said Lt. Col. Kevin O’Reilly, commander of the 204th.
Operation Ardent Vanguard, the U.S. Northern Command mission, supports the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Forward Support Company provides logistics support, including maintenance and transportation of fuel, supplies and materials to the 204th Engineer Battalion. The Headquarters and Headquarters Company will provide mission command for the Army task force operating in the region, with O’Reilly as the task force commander.
Soldiers in both companies have spent 12 months preparing for the mobilization, O’Reilly said.
Speaking to Headquarters Company Soldiers and families, O’Reilly said the Binghamton-based National Guard units have a service history dating to the Civil War. O’Reilly linked that legacy to the battalion’s upcoming mission, emphasizing the importance of supporting national security efforts along the southern border.
“This is a long mission. Stressors will come up on mission and at home,” O’Reilly said. “Look to your left and right. We are a team, and we are going to help each other.”
O’Reilly urged unit members to stay connected and support one another through difficult circumstances.
“Don’t internalize and think you are alone,” O’Reilly said. “I charge you to look out for each other. No matter what we face, we will overcome.”
During the Forward Support Company ceremony, O’Reilly said these ceremonies matter to Soldiers and families. Families once again heard about the importance of this sacrifice, and a high-ranking National Guard officer assured them they will have support, O’Reilly said.
“There’s a very large community of support for these Soldiers and their families,” Forward Support Company 1st Sgt. John Pietrowski said.
A significant moment in the Headquarters Company ceremony came as O’Reilly and Command Sgt. Maj. Jay Symonds, the battalion’s senior enlisted leader, cased the battalion colors.
The military tradition symbolizes the unit’s transition to a mobilized status while preserving the history, honors and legacy represented by its colors.
The 204th Engineer Battalion has 700 Soldiers located at armories in Binghamton, Kingston, Horseheads, Walton and Cortlandt Manor.
In 2025, the New York National Guard mobilized the Headquarters Detachment of the 104th Military Police Battalion, headquartered in Kingston, and the 442nd Military Police Company, based at the Jamaica Armory in Queens, New York City, on a similar support mission.
By Eric Durr and Sgt. Richelle Cruickshank