LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky National Guard says about 150 soldiers are deploying to eastern Africa.
A ceremony Saturday at the Lexington airport honored members of the Somerset-based 149th Infantry Regiment as they entered federal active duty, the National Guard said in a news release.
The unit will deploy under the command of a task force from the Virginia Army National Guard and provide security around the Horn of Africa, the statement said.
About 200 other Kentucky National Guard members are preparing for a separate mobilization to southeast Europe in early 2022. They will work with the Virginia National Guard in a NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, the statement said.
“I am completely confident in the chain of command for this unit,” said Kentucky’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Hal Lamberton, in a statement posted on the Kentucky National Guard homepage. “From the company level, to the battalion, to the brigade, these Soldiers are as well trained as any in the Guard, Reserve and active duty.”