Public Media from Michigan State University

Grand Ledge National Guard unit deploys to Iraq

By Kevin Lavery, WKAR News

EAST LANSING, MI – About 70 Michigan Army National Guard soldiers are leaving home for what will be a 10-month deployment to Iraq. Members of the 238th Aviation Battalion based in Grand Ledge held a deployment ceremony Thursday in Lansing.

The unit's mission is to transport wounded troops to medical installations. Major General Jerry Cannon commands the unit's headquarters. He says resources in Iraq to support the troops continue to improve.

"Everybody sort of stands on the shoulders of their predecessor," he says. "So everybody makes the mission a little bit better. And when you arrive there, then you take it to the next level as well. So equipment, maintainence, facilities--those are all continually getting better."

The solders will spend two months training at Ford Hood, Texas before leaving for Iraq.

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