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More than 40 members of three Hawaii Air National Guard units are headed to the Middle East for a six-month deployment, officials said Tuesday.
Members of the 292nd Combat Communications Squadron based on Maui will be joined by several airmen from the 291st Combat Communications Squadron, based in Hilo, and the 154th Force Support Squadron at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, according to a news release.
It’s the second deployment to the region announced for the Hawaii Air Guard in less than a week.
On Saturday the National Guard said more than 40 members of the 154th Security Forces Squadron were heading to the Middle East for six months.
Both deployments are in support of operations in Iraq, but none of the Hawaii airmen will be based in the country.
The deploying airmen primarily will provide base communications, such as satellite telecommunications, computer networking, telephone and mobile radio services, as well as base and perimeter security, the Guard said.
"Due to operational security reasons and host nation sensitivities, the Hawaii National Guard is not disclosing the country where the airmen will be deployed," the release said.
Terrorist activities by the group Islamic State have reduced the amount of information released about U.S. deployments.
About 3,100 U.S. troops are expected to be in Iraq later this month to protect the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and train Iraqi forces.
U.S. and coalition military forces are continuing airstrikes on Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The Hawaii Air National Guard comprises approximately 2,500 airmen whose federal mission is to be trained and available for active duty.
The Guard’s stated mission is to aid in domestic operations, including relief and recovery operations following a natural disaster.
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