500 S. Carolina guardsmen get ready to deployThe Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 6, 2010 5:45:26 EST
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Army National Guard is sending 500 soldiers into the counterinsurgency fight in Afghanistan.
Members of the 178th Field Artillery Battalion were flying Wednesday to Camp Atterbury, Ind., for six weeks of training prior to a year-long deployment.
Families and friends said goodbye to the units from Clinton, Manning, Andrews, Hemmingway and Georgetown at the Columbia airport.
Spokesman Capt. Chris Neeley says the unit includes veterans previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Some soldiers will work on reconstruction teams with Afghan communities, while others will forge bonds with tribal leaders and battle extremists.
Article at:
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/01/ap_guard_south_carolina_deploy_010610/