Fort Riley ? The Army has selected Fort Riley as the training site for all National Guard and reserve units being deployed outside the United States, the post’s commanding general said.

Maj. Gen. Thomas F. Metz said the decision was made last week at the end of a command readiness conference at Fort McCoy, Wis., attended by all U.S. Army Forces Command commanders and command sergeant majors.

The decision means Fort Riley will conduct all major rehearsal exercises for reserve component and National Guard units before they head to such locations as Bosnia and Kuwait.

Fort Riley’s task will be to “replicate what the soldiers will see when they deploy,” said Metz, who is also commanding general of the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), a National Guard component unit headquartered at the post.

The 35th Division of the Kansas National Guard is scheduled to train at Fort Riley next summer before assuming the U.S. peacekeeping mission in Bosnia, and the 34th Division from Minnesota will follow, he said.

While the post’s expanded duties will mean new responsibilities for soldiers in planning and conducting the exercises, Metz himself has a new task.

He told his staff Tuesday night he had been assigned to temporary duty as chief of staff for Central Command headquarters in Qatar. Col. Frank Helmick will assume command of Fort Riley during Metz’s absence, which begins Monday and is expected to last 120 to 140 days.

Central Command is responsible for U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf and Central Asia.