The Oregon National Guard is sending off 230 guardsmen to Iraq and Syria amid soaring tensions in the Middle East as the US is pledging to defend Israel from an expected Iranian reprisal attack.
The US has about 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 troops occupying eastern Syria. The Oregon guardsmen are likely being sent out on a regular rotational deployment, but the move comes as the US beefs up its presence in the region.
According to KGW8, a local NBC affiliate in Oregon, the unit is being deployed for a year and will serve as “primary artillery defenders” for the US and its partners in Iraq and Syria. The soldiers held a mobilization ceremony on Friday and were sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to undergo training before the deployment.
Poster Comment:
Every state needs to pass a law requiring a declaration of war to deploy Guardsmen overseas.