Ark. Guard brigade returning from Iraq

[unhappycamper]

Ark. Guard brigade returning from Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Nov 24, 2008 13:46:52 EST

HATTIESBURG, Miss. — Soldiers from the Arkansas National Guard’s 39th Infantry Brigade begin returning home from Iraq Tuesday night, signaling the end of the unit’s second deployment to Iraq.

The first contingent will have about 160 soldiers, with the rest of the more than 3,000 soldiers arriving over the coming weeks to Camp Shelby near Hattiesburg, Miss.

There are no deployments scheduled for Arkansas Guard troops in 2009, which will give the state time to assess the health and size of its force. It will be the first year since 1996 that Arkansas has not deployed troops overseas.

“We’re out of (the mobilization) business for a while,” Col. Keith Klemmer told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper.

The challenge for Klemmer and the rest of Arkansas’ Joint Force Headquarters-Forward is twofold: They must return non-39th soldiers to their home units while trying to ensure that all of the soldiers report any medical problems they have and that those problems are properly treated.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_guarddeployment_112408/%2e