The Missouri National Guard is sending public affairs soldiers to Afghanistan to ready that country for independence. It’s a small detachment, but no less important. Eight citizen soldiers have shipped off to train stateside, and then will deploy to Afghanistan, where they will spend about a year.
Major Tammy Spicer with the Missouri National Guard says the U.S. military has made a long-term commitment to help the country rebuild itself. She says working with them on public relations is part of that.
Spicer says there are about 20 members of the guard overseas now, but there are another 450 who are training in the U.S. and are in the process of going to serve overseas.
Spicer says the detachment of eight includes two women and a couple of college students.
The Department of Defense reports that the United States and its international partners remain committed to helping Afghans realize their vision for a country that is stable, democratic, and economically successful, and to an Afghan Government committed to the protection of women’s rights, human rights, and religious tolerance.
