mjones@observer-reporter.com

A Pennsylvania Army National Guard brigade headquartered in South Franklin Township is scheduled to be deployed to Iraq next year, the Defense Department announced Monday.

The 2nd Infantry Brigade combat team would be expected to provide security for bases in Iraq and escort military supply lines traveling through the country if it is deployed in late 2009.

The order, more than a year in advance of the anticipated deployment, is part of the Defense Department's efforts to give guardsmen more time to prepare for war, said Lt. Col. Chris Cleaver, public affairs officer for the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Previous notices were usually given just several weeks in advance.

"We've had alert orders before that haven't come to fruition," Cleaver said. "But the spirit and intent is to let the soldiers know it is possible and to begin planning with their families and employers that there is a possibility to go to Iraq. Really, this (advanced notification) is a positive step for all those involved."

The unit would consist of six battalions - four of which are in Western Pennsylvania - and about 2,500 guardsmen. There are an estimated 250 guardsmen in the brigade living in Washington County.

The brigade's commander, Col. Regis Cardiff, said the unit was last stationed in Iraq from June 2005 to July 2006 and performed the "full spectrum" of combat operations in al-Anbar province. The guardsmen came under 30 to 40 attacks each day, Cardiff said, in what once was considered one of the most dangerous regions in Iraq.

The unit's previous mission was to patrol and control the streets of Ramadi. The brigade now must plan to secure bases and protect military convoys traveling from Kuwait to Iraq.

"Predictability is what the (Defense Department) is trying to get everyone: getting into a cycle. It gives us a chance to focus on mission-specific training," Cardiff said. "We have to plan what we're alerted for, so that's what we're expecting. Of course, the mission could change, but it will be what the commander on the ground needs."

Cardiff and his support staff are headquartered at a post near the Washington County Airport, but the battalions are stationed across Western Pennsylvania and in other states.

The six battalions that make up the brigade include 1st Battalion, 110th Infantry Regiment, from Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County; the 128th Brigade Support Battalion from Pittsburgh; the 1st Battalion, 107th Field Artillery, from New Castle, Lawrence County; the 2nd Brigade Special Troops Battalion from Johnstown, Cambria County; and a reconnaissance battalion from Cincinnati, Ohio. Another infantry battalion will be tapped from a yet to be determined location, Cardiff said.

About 1,400 guardsmen from the Pennsylvania Air and Army national guards are currently stationed Afghanistan and Iraq.

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