National Guard Unit Heading To Iraq

A unit of the Oklahoma Air National Guard based in Tulsa is being deployed to Iraq later this year.

National Guard officials said Monday that about 300 crew members and pilots from the 125th Fighter Squadron will be headed to Iraq in September.  The 125th is part of the 138th Fighter Wing in Tulsa.

Lieutenant Colonel Scott Stratton is commander of the 125th.

The National Guard says 20 pilots from the Tulsa area will be part of a 16-plane combat fighter package in Iraq made up of F-16 fighter jets from Oklahoma, Ohio and Minnesota.

Officials say the rest of the crews will be support personnel.  The unit will be based at the Balad Air Base in Iraq for 55 days.