1,100 troops from Arizona leaving for Afghanistan

[Jcrowley]

Sunday, December 10, 2006
1,100 troops from Arizona leaving for Afghanistan

Associated Press
Posted: 12/9/06 11:44am

More than 1,100 members of the Arizona National Guard will be sent to Afghanistan next month in the largest deployment of state troops since the terror attacks of 2001, according to the Department of Defense.

Two units, one based near Flagstaff and the other in Marana, will send soldiers to the Asian nation in a move planned for more than a year, said Major Paul Aguirre, an Arizona Guard spokesman.

"Since 9/11, this is the biggest group to go out," Aguirre said.

The 158th Infantry Regiment based in Bellemont will send about 680 soldiers, making it the largest unit deployment yet from the Arizona Guard. They will leave Jan. 6 for training at a U.S. base and then go to Afghanistan to perform ground operations.

http://www.abc15.com/news/index.asp?did=31728