300 Wisconsin Troops headed to Iraq
About 300 members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard have completed pre-deployment training in Texas and are getting ready to ship out to Iraq.


MADISON, Wis. (AP) — About 300 members of the Wisconsin Army National Guard have completed pre-deployment training in Texas and are getting ready to ship out to Iraq.

The troops are part of the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment.

They reported for active duty June 17 and trained for six weeks at Fort Hood. Now they'll be deploying overseas by the end of the month.

The troops are expected to serve about nine months in Iraq and return home by May of next year.

One of their missions will involve maintaining the strategic Black Hawk helicopters, a task that can be a challenge in the Iraqi heat. They're also trained to react to roadside bombs and downed aircraft.

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