Lansing, Mich. ? Following a 12-month tour of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, approximately 145 Michigan Army National Guard Soldiers from the 1460th Transportation Company, based in Midland, Mich., are scheduled to arrive for a homecoming ceremony at the Midland County Fairgrounds, Midland, Mich., at 8:30 a.m. (Time subject to change) The unit departed Michigan in June 2008 for eight weeks of mission specific training at Fort Bliss, Texas. They arrived in Iraq in August 2008.

While in Iraq, the Soldiers were stationed at Camp Bucca where they performed the guard force security mission at the Detainee Review Assessment Board, processing more than 12,000 detainees. The Soldiers also trained and graduated more than 500 Iraqi Correctional Officers (ICOs) at the ICO Academy, and they conducted numerous search and seizure missions inside the theater internment facility (TIF) increasing the overall security of the Coalition forces and detainees inside the compounds.

The Soldiers received many awards including four Meritorious Service Medals, 43 Army Commendation Medals, and numerous other awards.

Today, nearly 1,000 Michigan National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are deployed across the globe in support of the global war on terrorism; however, as the Michigan Guard serves the nation abroad, more than 90 percent of the force is available, trained and ready to respond to a state emergency including a terrorist event.

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MEDIA ADVISORY