300 Army Reserve Positions Coming to New York

FORT TOTTEN, N.Y. (October 1, 2009) - The Army Reserve's newest unit will officially "open for busi-ness" at Fort Totten on Sunday after conducting a traditional military activation ceremony. Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder and Col. Calvin DeWitt will preside over the ceremony as the 300-member 151st Theater Information Operations Command (TIOG) officially celebrates the beginning of operations at the Ernie Pyle U.S. Army Reserve Center. The activation ceremony will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4th. Maj. Gen. Eder is the commanding general of the Joint and Special Troops Support Command (JSTSC ), the 151st's higher headquarters, which is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Col. DeWitt is the 151st's first commanding officer. They will be joined by members of the unit and other invited dignitaries. The 151st TIOG is the first unit of its type, launching a new organizational structure and enhancing the overall mission of the U.S. Army Reserve. The group is comprised of a headquarters element and two battalions, bringing over 300 new Army Reserve positions to the New York area. The Information Operations (IO) mission is to synchronize related capabilities comprised of electronic warfare, psychological operations, operations security, and network operations with the overarching objective of gaining, maintaining and controlling the information environment on the battlefield. The 151st TIOG supports contingency operations around the world with primary support to the European Command (EUCOM) and the African Command (AFRICOM). The 151st TIOG currently has soldiers deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghani-stan.