Another group of National Guardsmen from Austin and Albert Lea will have a send off soon.

The event is scheduled Sunday, May 28, for the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division, at Fort Snelling in St. Paul.

Twenty soldiers from Albert Lea and 18 soldiers from Austin will deploy with the division in what is the second-largest deployment of the Minnesota National Guard since World War II. Another 16 from Albert Lea and 17 from Austin will also be joining the 134th Brigade Support Battalion. Their departure ceremony will be May 31 in Albert Lea. The entire deployment includes about 2,400 soldiers from Minnesota.

Guardsmen are currently training and will leave in late July to serve in Operation New Dawn, which starts in Kuwait and aims to remove soldiers and equipment from the war in Iraq. They will be responsible for providing base management and security. In addition, the brigade will be responsible for securing the ground convoy transport of troops, equipment and supplies throughout Iraq.

The mission is scheduled to last about one year.