Oklahoma National Guard Soldiers Train For Deployment To Ukraine

Members of Oklahoma's 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team are training at Camp Gruber for an overseas deployment.

About 500 members of the team will be heading to Ukraine to provide training support to Ukrainian forces.

The Guard says about 250 members of the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment are in training at Camp Gruber southeast of Muskogee right now for a six-month deployment.

"It's always fine tuning, find where we need to improve," said Colonel David Jordan. "The mission in Ukraine is going to help them establish a combat training center, similar to the big training centers that we operate here in the United States."

When this part of the team returns, the other half will then deploy.

Col. Jordan said many of the soldiers have deployed three or four times to combat zones and will use that experience to train the Ukrainians to build a better army.

"I definitely learned I need to work on radio communication and I also need time to be on the action with my rifle," said Specialist Bryce Owen.

The members of the 45th will get to spend the holidays with their families and won't deploy until after the first of the year.