Florida soldiers prepare for duty in Afghanistan

[Judi Lynn]

Florida soldiers prepare for duty in Afghanistan

By Rafael A. Olmeda
Staff Writer
Posted December 16 2004

As many as 1,200 Florida National Guard troops are preparing for deployment to Afghanistan in the second largest such call-up in the state since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, officials said Wednesday.

The troops, who will be joining the 53rd Infantry Brigade out of Tampa, are coming from all over the state, said Lt. Col. Ron Tittle, a National Guard spokesman. They'll be activated in late April or early May, but will remain in Florida for specialized training, he said. They will head to Afghanistan late next summer.

"Their primary mission is going to be helping to train the Afghanistan national army, building their professional skills, helping them become more self-sufficient in defending their nation," Tittle said.

The soldiers and specialists are expected to serve for as long as 18 months, including a full year on the ground in Afghanistan.

Among those preparing to leave are some members of the 124th Infantry Division, which served in Iraq in late 2002. At that time, the National Guard called up more then 1,500 troops, said Senior Airman Thomas Kielbasa, a National Guard spokesman in St. Augustine.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fguard16dec16,0,6842453.story?coll=sfla-news-florida