Washington National guardsmen training for return to Iraq

Published 9:52 am Monday, June 23, 2008

TACOMA, Wash. — Thousands of Washington National Guard soldiers are preparing for the 81st Brigade Combat Team’s second deployment to Iraq.

They’ll train next month at the Yakima Training Center and have more training in August at Fort McCoy, Wis.

A planner at Camp Murray, Lt. Col. Andy Leneweaver, says the 81st will be training in Wisconsin because there isn’t room now at Fort Lewis, which currently has three Stryker brigades home from Iraq.

The 81st is based in Seattle but has units stationed in 10 armories across the state. It has 3,500 members, about 2,500 members from Washington and 1,000 from California.

They head for the Mideast in October. The 81st also served in Iraq in 2004.

Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com