Half of Ark. 39th Infantry Brigade to leave

[unhappycamper]

Half of Ark. 39th Infantry Brigade to leave
By Jon Gambrell - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jan 2, 2008 19:07:55 EST

LITTLE ROCK — About half of Arkansas’ largest National Guard unit will ship out Saturday for about a month of training before returning to Iraq for a second tour, officials said Wednesday.

Arkansas Air National Guard Maj. Keith Moore said six advance teams from the 39th Infantry Brigade will leave Thursday for Camp Shelby in Mississippi. Moore said about half of the 3,200 soldiers requested for the deployment will follow Saturday, leaving from 15 locations around the state. The remaining half will follow later.

“At this point, everything’s been certified on the qualifications and training, so right now it’s a matter of getting personnel and individual equipment and things packed and loaded and getting ready to transfer,” Moore said.

Moore said the Guard would need “quite a few charter buses” to move the soldiers to Mississippi, where they will train with the First Army. The major said the training will last from 45 to 60 days and will include practice for convoy protection and how to interact when entering Iraqi cities and villages.

After trainers sign off, soldiers will head to Iraq for an estimated 10-month tour in a country they left in 2005 after an 18-month deployment there.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_arkansasguard_080102/

[Divine Discontent]

1. I saw

a bunch of guys in Ohio and Florida also got called up... Apparently, they got their holiday and now they're heading to the occupation. God help them... My sibling is near it all, I pray for all their safety and fast return.