CAMP MURRAY - The Washington Army National Guard bid farewell today to approximately 25 citizen soldiers from the 319th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) headquartered at Camp Murray.  The 319th will be deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The 319th transitioned onto federal active duty status Thursday. Their mission will be to respond to, analyze, attack and mitigate explosive hazards and improvised explosive device threats throughout the Central Command Theater.

"The 319th is embarking upon a vital mission that will be crucial to the safety of those they serve with overseas.  They are very well trained and will make our state and nation proud," Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Lowenberg, the Adjutant General and Commander of the Washington National Guard, said in a release.

The 319th will receive pre-deployment training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, before deploying to the CENTCOM Theater later this fall.  319th teams will serve throughout CENTCOM including Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. The deployment is scheduled for 12 months plus any leave time they accrue, and are slated to return home in the fall of 2011.  

The unit previously served in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2004 to December 2005.  The 319th consistently trains with local, state and federal jurisdictions here in the U.S.