LANSING, Mich.--Approximately 293 Guardsmen from the Jackson-based, 1461st Transportation Company, Michigan Army National Guard, will depart tomorrow, June 2, at 10 a.m., for Camp Atterbury, Ind., in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  At Camp Atterbury the Soldiers will spend four to six weeks on mission-specific training and in-processing.  They are then expected to deploy to Iraq for a 12-month tour.

The 1461st will have a ceremony and parade tomorrow, 10 a.m., at the Jackson Harness Raceway.  The public is invited to attend.

Today, approximately 1,200 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are deployed across the globe, at locations such as Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Bosnia.  Since Sept. 11, 2001, approximately 75 percent of the Michigan Guard has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; however, as Michigan troops serve the nation, more than 80 percent of the Michigan Guard remains available and ready to respond to a state emergency including a terrorist event.
 

MEDIA ADVISORY:

Media is invited to attend the ceremony and parade beginning at 10 a.m.   The parade will begin at the raceway, go south on Francis St., west on Michigan Avenue, and north on Southwest Avenue to 127 North. 

 (For more information, contact Maj. Dawn Dancer at work (517) 481-8140, or cell (517) 896-0860.)