National Guard plans sendoff for 181st Infantry, bound for Middle East

Soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard will be celebrated in Worcester on Tuesday before they deploy to the Middle East to support the United States' ongoing military actions against ISIS.

The Massachusetts Army National Guard announced a sendoff ceremony for its 1st Battalion, 181st Infantry Regiment to be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Worcester's DCU Center. The soldiers will then be deployed to support Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the Guard said.

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Members of the Guard's 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment were deployed to various locations across the Middle East last winter as part of the same operation.

The Mass. National Guard said that it has "participated in each of our nation's conflicts" since it was formed in 1636. Since the wars in the Middle East began in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, more than 20,000 Mass. National Guard soldiers have been deployed overseas.