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63rd Engineer Company at Fort Benning deploying to Afghanistan
The 63rd Engineer Company at Fort Benning is deploying to Afghanistan for nine months, a public affairs spokeswoman said today.
The company, an element of the 11th Engineer Battalion., is led by Capt. Robert Etheridge.
About 150 soldiers in the unit will deploy to Afghanistan to dismantle facilities that are no longer functional or required. The company was last deployed in 2009 and 2011.
Soldiers have been preparing for the mission for the last year. "More than anything else, we are just anxious to get down there and complete our mission," Etheridge said. "We think it's a good opportunity and I believe all soldiers are confident and excited."
Work in Afghanistan is tied to drawing down the troops. "I anticipate a pretty hectic schedule, not a lot of down time for us," he said.
The company won't be hauling a lot of equipment to the country. "We didn't have to bring a lot of equipment," the commander said. "We are going without a whole lot of stuff. We will get what we need in the theater."
A sendoff for the company is set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday and 11:30 a.m. Monday at the engineer company. Family and friends will bid troops farewell before they board a bus to Lawson Army Airfield.
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