450 Fort Hood soldiers headed to Kuwait

Fort Hood, Texas-based III Corps will send 450 soldiers from its headquarters to Kuwait in September for a year to coordinate the fight against the Islamic State, the Army announced Wednesday.

The unit will serve as headquarters for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, the international effort combating IS, the Army said in its announcement.

"III Corps has a proud history of answering the nation's call when it has come," Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland, commanding general of III Corps and Fort Hood, said in the statement. "We are trained and ready to perform our mission and we thank our Central Texas community partners for their unwavering support as we answer the call once again."

The joint task force was established last October.

About 600 soldiers with III Corps deployed in April 2013 to Afghanistan where they served with NATO allies at International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, which directed forces in the region. Then-Lt. Gen. Mark Milley, now in line to take over as the Army's next chief of staff, commanded III Corps and Fort Hood at the time of the deployment and also led the ISAF command. The unit returned the following February.