EMPORIA, Va. (WTVR) – More than 150 Virginia National Guard soldiers will be deployed to Afghanistan next spring after they received a mobilization order today, according to an email from Cotton Puryear, Communications Director at Virginia Department of Military Affairs.
The Emporia-based 1710th Transportation Company, 529th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 329th Regional Support will enter federal active duty April 1, 2013. In Afghanistan, the troops will perform the mission of transportation support operations – that includes loading and unloading military equipment.
The 1710th is made up of soldiers from all over the state, Puryear said. Thirty soldiers are from the Richmond-Petersburg area, approximately 15 are from the Emporia, Franklin and Courtland areas.
According to Maj. Gen. Daniel E. Long, Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, the soldiers will train for two months at Fort Hood, Texas, before they head to Afghanistan. The 1710th last served on active duty in Iraq from May 2008 to February 2009.
The soldiers are currently training at Fort Pickett.
