Guard Members Ready For Deployment

Tuesday, October 23rd 2007, 3:37 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma Army National Guard officials say the deployment of another 900 soldiers from the Guard to Iraq will mean that nearly 50 percent of state guardsmen will be deployed overseas.

Oklahoma's adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, said Tuesday that the Enid-headquartered 45th Fires Brigade has been placed on alert for a possible mission to Iraq next year.

If deployed, Wyatt says the mission is expected to be a 12-month rotation. He says the mission date is more than a year away and that there could be many changes between now and then.

About 2,400 members of the state Guard were deployed last week. The 45th Infantry Brigade has been moved to Fort Bliss, Texas, for final training before being sent to Iraq early next year.