(Bowling Green)- A ceremony is scheduled today to honor more than 450 Virginia National Guard members based in Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Warrenton, Winchester, Charlottesville, Suffolk and Woodstock as they prepare to deploy to the Middle East. The departure ceremony will take place at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline County. Soldiers from units around the state are being mobilized for duty in Qatar for approximately 12 months, where they will conduct security missions.
The troops will first journey to Fort Bliss, Texas, for approximately 30 to 45 days of additional mobilization training. From there they will deploy to Qatar, where they are expected to operate as a security force.
The Winchester-based 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team — also known as Task Force Normandy — is made up of the following company-level units:
Approximately 50 soldiers assigned to the Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment and Company F, 429th Brigade Support Battalion based in Winchester
Approximately 95 soldiers assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment based in Woodstock with about 30 additional soldiers assigned to the detachment in Warrenton
Approximately 80 soldiers assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment based in Leesburg
Approximately 100 soldiers assigned to Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment based in Suffolk
Approximately 30 soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment based in Charlottesville with about 35 soldiers assigned to a detachment in Harrisonburg as well as about 30 soldiers assigned to Company D, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment based in Fredericksburg will also take part in the mission and deploy with the battalion