Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard's Fort

Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard's Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division take part in a departure ceremony, Sept. 12, on Fort Belvoir's Long Parade Field. A group of approximately 30 Virginia National Guard soldiers combined with approximately 35 soldiers from the Maryland National Guard began federal active duty, Sept. 11, for the Afghanistan Security Partnering mission. The soldiers will replace a group of Maryland and Virginia National Guard soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan who began their federal active duty, Nov. 1, 2010. The Virginia contingent is comprised of soldiers assigned to the 29th Infantry Division augmented by soldiers from Joint Forces Headquarters and other units across Virginia. The soldiers will spend several weeks conducting pre-mobilization training at Camp Shelby, Miss., before deploying to Afghanistan, and the mobilization is expected to last one year. The SYP team will fall under the command and control of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command in Afghanistan. Their mission will be to resource, facilitate and assess training for the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Soldiers from the 29th Infantry Division will provide subject matter expertise in support of the mission.