US forces get ready for a mission in Iraq, Syria
US soldiers in Iraq. Photo: Milwaukee Independent
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – New Jersey soldiers are going to the Middle East to battle against terrorist groups.
Since 2008, this will be the largest deployment of soldiers from the New Jersey Army National Guard, according to CBS News.
1,500 members of the New Jersey Army National Guard are being sent to Syria and Iraq as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a military campaign to defeat ISIS.
It is unclear if these US troops would supplement the military already present in Syria and Iraq or if they would be additional troops sent there.
The United States deploys 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and about 900 in Syria within the framework of the International Coalition to Combat ISIS, which was formed in 2014.
Military families witnessed a special event on Sunday in Trenton, when New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and other officials honored the soldiers before their deployment.
Before traveling to the Middle East, the soldiers will first get training at Fort Bliss in Texas. Family members expressed their prayers for the safe return of their loved ones.