LANSING, MICH.-- Following a 15-month tour of duty to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, approximately 44 Michigan Army National Guard Soldiers from the Personnel Services Detachment, based in Lansing, return home Sunday.

The Soldiers will arrive at approximately 11 a.m. at the Michigan National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters, located at 3411 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., in Lansing.

The Soldiers mobilized to Fort McCoy, Wis., July 2006 for in-processing and mission specific training and arrived in Kuwait in October. While deployed, the 363rd in-processed all Soldiers heading to Afghanistan and Iraq in support of OIF and served as a human resource office for the Soldiers while deployed.

Today, more than 870 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are deployed across the globe to locations such as Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Kosovo and the Arizona, New Mexico and Texas borders. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 9,000 Michigan Guard members have deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Jump Start; 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 welcome home ceremony. Family, friends and the Family Support Group of the returning Soldiers will arrive up to two hours early and will be available for interviews.

From I-69 East: Exit 85, turn south on Dewitt Road, follow approximately one mile to Stoll Road , turn left, approx 500 feet, turn right on S. Dewitt Road which becomes Martin Luther King Blvd. Go two miles. Joint Force Headquarters' driveway is parallel with Bioport Corp., which is located at 3500 N Martin Luther King and can be found with an on-line search. The JFHQ address is not yet searchable on-line), Drive to the end of the road, arrive at 3411 N. Martin Luther King on the right.