EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — In the coming days, nearly 700 Minnesota National Guard members will say goodbye to loved ones for a year, and deploy.
It's a challenge for any soldier, but, Jana sat down with a couple of soldiers who are, in fact, a couple.
And they are deploying, together.
The soldiers being deployed are from the Minnesota National Guard's St. Paul-based 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade and will support Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve.
A departure ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 20, 2019 at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.
"Our soldiers are ready to deploy, well-trained, fully-equipped and highly-motivated," said Col. Gregory Fix, the brigade commander in a news release. "Several of our soldiers re-enlisted or extended to go on this deployment."
The soldiers will provide Army helicopter, Unmanned Aerial System, and fixed wing support to United States Armed Forces and Coalition Forces, according to the news release. They will fly UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook, and AH-64 Apache helicopters, Grey Eagle unmanned aircraft, and the fixed-wing C-12 Huron.
According to the news release, "Minnesota National Guard aviation units have had a total of 18 deployments over the past 18 years. The headquarters of the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade last deployed in 2014 to Kuwait."