Maine guardsmen leaving for 1-year deployment - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Maine guardsmen leaving for 1-year deployment

ORONO, Maine — Another 175 Maine National Guard soldiers are ready to ship out for deployment to Afghanistan, where they’ll spend the coming year.

Gov. John Baldacci and other leaders attended Saturday’s sendoff ceremony for the Guard’s 1136th Transportation Company. The unit departs Sunday for Fort Hood, Texas, where the soldiers will receive additional training before moving on to Kabul.

The soldiers’ primary job will be providing security for bases and for convoys in the region around Kabul, said Capt. Pete Carter, the unit’s commanding officer.

The soldiers have undergone training for the assignment, and they’re equipped with additional weaponry like M4 rifles and night-vision equipment, he said.

Their presence will bring the number of Maine National Guard soldiers in Afghanistan to about 300. Maine’s Bravo Company, 3-172nd Mountain Infantry Battalion, is already in Afghanistan.