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Posted on LAUREL, Md. (March 25, 2008) -- Approximately 60 Maryland soldiers are mobilizing for deployment to Iraq this week. The soldiers are members of the 224th Area Support Medical Company of the Maryland Army National Guard. Governor Martin O’Malley joined federal, state, and local officials yesterday in a send-off ceremony at the Private Henry Costin Armory in Laurel, Md. The soldiers will depart for Fort Lewis, Washington on Wednesday where they will receive additional training before deployment to Iraq. In Iraq, they will provide direct medical support. This includes retrieval and stabilization of the wounded, immediate triage care, and pass-on care to medical-surgical teams. They also will conduct basic dental, physiological, and psychological care. More than 1,100 citizen-soldiers and airmen assigned to the Maryland National Guard are currently serving on active war-time duty. Since 9/11 nearly 7,400 soldiers and airmen have been called to support Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, Jump Start and in the relief effort for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. |