Topeka ? A new Kansas Army National Guard unit has been activated to give the guard additional communications capabilities.

The 369th Brigade Signal Company, which held a formal activation ceremony Saturday, is the first signal company in the Kansas National Guard. The 39 soldiers of the unit are commanded by Capt. Gabriel Brockman and are based in Kansas City, Kan.

According to the adjutant general’s department, the unit’s mission is to provide high-speed digital voice and data networks to support the communication needs of the 287th Sustainment Brigade, headquartered in Wichita.

The signal company will assist subordinate units, through radio retransmission and satellite communication.

Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, state adjutant general, says the unit will be beneficial to the National Guard whether deployed to combat or responding to state missions.