DRAPER, Utah — The approximately 150 Soldiers of the Utah National Guard’s 624^th Engineer Company, 204^th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, will depart Utah on the first leg of their 12-month deployment to Afghanistan Wednesday, June 13, from the Utah Air National Guard Base in Salt Lake City.

The departure ceremony for the 624^th will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the Utah Air National Guard Base. The first plane will depart at approximately 9:45 a.m., and the second plane will follow at about 10:15 a.m. Updates to departure times will be sent out as needed via Twitter @UTNationalGuard, hashtag #utahguard.

The mission of the 624^th will be to perform vertical construction (the building of structures and buildings) in the U.S. Central Command area of operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The unit will spend several weeks at Fort Bliss, Texas, for additional training before heading overseas to fulfill its assigned mission.

Individual Soldiers in the 624^th have deployed previously, but this is the first time the unit has deployed since it was created in 2008. The unit is based in Springville, Utah, and has detachments in Price and Vernal. Soldiers assigned to each of these locations will deploy together as a unit.

Media Notes: The Utah Air National Guard Base is located at 765 N. 2200 W. in Salt Lake City. Media should plan to arrive at least one hour prior to the start of the 8:30 a.m. ceremony. Please contact Lt. Col. Hank McIntire at (801) 420-4778 for more information.

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