A ROUSING SENDOFF for the NATIONAL GUARD

The Carroll County community turned out Saturday for a sendoff ceremony for the local U.S. Army National Guard unit as they left Carrollton to prepare for deployment to Africa next month. The 62 members of Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 138th Artillery received the sendoff prior to their departure for Camp Atterbury, located near Edinburg, Ind. At Camp Atterbury the local unit joined the remainder of the 500-member battalion for mobilization training. Saturday's event featured speakers from local government and Command Sergeant Major Jimmy Supplee, U.S. Army (ret.). A number of the men cuddled little ones, wives and mothers preparatory to the departure. Lisa Brown, manager of the Carrollton Wal-Mart, donated the roses for the wives and mothers of the men deployed. The battalion will serve nine months at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, Africa.