Hundreds of area soldiers attached to the National Guard will leave here Sunday to begin the first part of a nine-month security operation in Kuwait.
A formal ceremony is planned at 1 p.m. at the Armed Forces Reserve Center, 1307 Grove St., according to Joan Nissley, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.
The mission for 250 soldiers attached to the 3rd Battalion of the 103rd Armor Battalion, who will join others with the 55th Heavy Brigade, has been described by the Guard as a "security operation." It is not a mission to Afghanistan, according to the military.
Article Photos
SUN-GAZETTE FILE PHOTO
Army National Guard troops with Bravo and Delta companies of the 103rd Armored in Williamsport train using a Boeing CH-47 helicopter in October 2009.
Similar send-offs are occurring in Scranton, Philadelphia and Fort Indiantown Gap, she said.
Afterward, the soldiers will travel to Camp Shelby, Miss., for mobilization training for up to three months before leaving for their overseas mission.
Kuwait, which borders the Persian Gulf, is sandwiched between Iraq and Saudi Arabia and across the gulf from Iran.
Fact Box
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Send-off
ceremony for local National Guard soldiers
WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Armed Forces Reserve Center, 1307 Grove St.
The state has more than 19,000 National Guard troops and five Armed Forces Reserve Centers.
