60 Oklahoma National Guard Members Deployed to Middle East

About 60 members of the Oklahoma Army National Guard are being deployed to the Middle East.

Members of the 244th Aviation Regiment are deploying alongside soldiers from the Louisiana Army National Guard in support of the Operation Inherent Resolve joint task force that is fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq. A guard spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Lindy White, says the deployment will last between nine months and a year.

Friends and family members held a deployment ceremony for the Oklahoma soldiers Saturday in Tulsa. Specialists Jonathan Booth says soldiers will first go to Fort Hood in Texas for pre-mobilization training before they are deployed to the Middle East.

Hundreds of Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers were deployed to south Texas in August and September to support relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey.