Arkansas National Guard soldiers prepare to deploy

— About 200 Arkansas Army National Guard soldiers are preparing to leave for a 1-year deployment to Afghanistan.

The Guard’s 875th Engineer Battalion’s 1037th Route Clearance Company will leave Jonesboro on Saturday morning. The soldiers first will travel to Fort McCoy, Wis., for about 20 days of training.

After that, they’ll fly to Afghanistan for what officials say will be a road-clearing mission. Capt. Brian Mason says the deployment is scheduled to be for 12 months but the soldiers’ return date is subject to change.

Soldiers in the 1037th trained at Fort McCoy for a few weeks before returning home for Christmas.

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