By Associated Press
Oklahoma City, OK – Okla. Guard unit told of possible 2011 deployment
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A 3,500-soldier Oklahoma National Guard unit has been told to prepare for a possible deployment to Afghanistan in 2011.
The 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team received a "notification of sourcing" from the National Guard Bureau at the Pentagon.
Maj. Gen. Myles Deering, Oklahoma's adjutant general, says the notification does not necessarily mean the brigade will deploy, but is a strong indicator it may be called upon. Guard officials say a final decision likely will come in the spring or summer.
The combat team was mobilized in 2007 for a one-year deployment to Iraq. At the time, it was the largest deployment of state guard members since the Korean War.