Guard unit deploys to Mississippi, then Afghanistan

Family and friends gathered this morning at the Landmark Theater in Richmond to say their goodbyes as the 276th Engineer Battalion of the Virginia National Guard departed for Camp Shelby, Miss.

The battalion will deploy to Afghanistan in late January.

"I assure you, that while difficult and challenging, the mission you are going to be a part of in Afghanistan is critically important and the Afghan people appreciate it," Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said to the crowd.

About 200 soldiers loaded onto buses around noon to begin their journey.

Once in Afghanistan, the unit will be a part of Task Force Pirate and will link up with four engineer companies from California, Wisconsin, Michigan and Germany.

Lt. Col. James A. Zollar, commanding officer for the battalion, said the unit is well-trained for what lies ahead.

"They can take care of themselves and they can take care of business," Zollar said.

The unit has been training at Fort Pickett in Blackstone since September. The battalion last served on active duty from Dec. 18, 2003, to Feb. 23, 2005, with service in Iraq from March 2004 to February 2005.

-- Jeremy Slayton