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The Montana Air National Guard's 219th RED HORSE unit is busy preparing for a late summer deployment, and the airmen have received a little extra morale boost with some national recognition.

The 219th will be deploying overseas as award winners, because for the first time, they received the Distinguished Mission Support award from the National Guard Association of the United States.

The unit is one of just five in the country to receive the prestigious award, which judges multiple categories of performance including deployment and exercise accomplishments, inspections and safety procedure.

Chief Master Sergeant Bob Remain said, "This award included numerous things that we had to do, as far as mobilization preparededness, unit compliance inspection and working with our sister unit the 819th," referring to the active-duty 819th RED HORSE unit at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Senior Master Sergeant Jason Koppany noted, "I think the opportunity we have with the 819th is unique in the aspect that we have a lot of additional projects we can go on, and enhance our skills and we learn from one another and its a unique bond we share."

The 219th is currently 100% staffed, and is scheduled to deploy overseas in late August as part of an Overseas Contingency Operation.