MN National Guard Troops Headed to Afghanistan
ST. PAUL - More than 120 Minnesota National Guard soldiers are preparing for a yearlong deployment that includes a training mission in Afghanistan.
The 257th Military Police Company was scheduled to ship out Monday to Fort Bliss, Texas.
They're expected to be there for a few weeks before heading overseas.
A Minnesota Public Radio report says their mission will be to train members of the Afghan National Army to operate a prison.
Capt. Troy Hyland commands the company. He says even though the mission is a training mission, the deployment still carries risks.
But he also says the soldiers are well-trained and they know what they're doing.
The deployment will be the first for about two-thirds of the soldiers in the company.
They're scheduled to return to the U.S. next spring.
