Members of Alabama’s Army National Guard are heading out to active duty soon.
The approximately 40 soldiers of the 152nd Military Police Company, out of Decatur, Alabama, will be heading to Cuba to oversee internal security and detainee operations at Guantanamo Bay.
The unit will have a departure ceremony at Decatur’s Austin High School this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Civilian officials as well as senior Alabama National Guardsmen, will attend the ceremony to send off the soldiers. The general public is also invited and encouraged to attend to show their support for the soldiers and their families.
Once deploying from Decatur, the unit will conduct additional training at another location before deploying overseas. The Alabama National Guard has called more than 24,000 personnel to active duty since 9/11 and remains a top contributor among the nation's National Guard organizations.