Moline alderman to deploy to Kuwait for work in Army

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) - A Moline alderman who will be deployed to Kuwait for six months with the U.S. Army says he'll still be available to serve his constituents back home.

The Moline City Council voted Tuesday to let alderman Quentin Rodriguez participate in meetings via teleconference while he's away. Rodriguez is a civilian employee in the distribution management center for the U.S. Army Sustainment Command on the Rock Island Arsenal, and his deployment to Kuwait begins Nov. 29.

State law allows for remote attendance if a series of meeting will be missed due to employment, The (Moline) Dispatch reports. Meetings in Moline will take place at 3:30 a.m. in Kuwait, Rodriguez said.

"As long as I have the ability to attend, I'll be attending every meeting," he told KWQC-TV.

Rodriguez plans to communicate with constituents through social media and email and by phone. He also plans to share information on a website.

Rodriguez has had two other deployments. He was sent as a civilian to Afghanistan three years ago to serve as chief of logistics planning, and he was in the Army from 2000 to 2005 and spent 13 months in Iraq.

Part of the "allure" of working for the Army Sustainment Command, Rodriguez said, was being able to continue serving the Army, "just not necessarily in a green suit." He said the command ensures forces have needed and properly maintained equipment.

"The civilian force is an intricate part of the Army's success overseas and that is a key role that is played out right here in the Quad Cities," Rodriguez said.