130920-Z-RG802-004

Family, friends bid farewell to Louisiana Guard Soldiers

BATON ROUGE, La. – Soldiers of the Louisiana National Guard’s 927th Engineer Company, 769th Engineer Battalion, were celebrated by family, friends and fellow Guardsmen during a deployment ceremony at the Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 20.

The Baton Rouge-based unit will deploy more than 90 Soldiers to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to conduct route-clearance operations.

This combat engineer company will conduct mobilization training at Fort Bliss, Texas, before deploying overseas during the 365-day deployment.

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana National Guardsman Staff Sgt. Brandon Branch, of Bastrop, La., laughs with his family following a deployment ceremony for the 927th Sapper Company at the Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, La., Sept. 20, 2013. The 927th, based in Baton Rouge, will deploy to Afghanistan on a 365-day tour and conduct route-clearance operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Army National Guard photos by Staff Sgt. Jerry W. Rushing, 241st MPAD / released)