Ceremony To Send Of Guard Troops To Iraq Is Thursday

Tuesday, October 16th 2007, 8:34 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Governor Brad Henry is to be the featured speaker Thursday during a ceremony to send off 2,400 Oklahoma National Guard troops with the 45th Infantry Brigade.

The troops will be going first to Fort Bliss, Texas, for 10 to 12 weeks training before being deployed to Iraq early next year. The deployment is the largest for the 45th since the Korean War.

The ceremony is to start at 3 Thursday afternoon at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman and about 10,000 friends and family are expected to attend.

Other speakers will include Major General Harry Wyatt, Brigadier General Myles Deering and University of Oklahoma President David Boren.

The soldiers will spend the weekend at home before beginning the trip to Fort Bliss. They're scheduled to return next October.