Florida National Guard relief units headed to fight al-Qaida, other terrorists

Florida National Guard relief units headed to fight al-Qaida, other terrorists

MIAMI -- About 700 Florida National Guard troops are headed to the Horn of Africa again to be part of U.S. military operations against al-Qaida and other violent extremists in East Africa, a wing of the war on terror.

The Guard said in an announcement Thursday the Miami-based 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the "Hurricanes," and Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Regiment, depart this weekend from airports in Fort Lauderdale and Panama City, respectively, "for a 12-month mission in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel."

They'll be at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti for about nine months with the rest of the yearlong deployment devoted to preparation, training and demobilization.

The Florida Guard sent a similar-sized unit to the Horn last year, then from the Orlando-based 2nd Battalion of the 124th Infantry Regiment. This new deployment replaces them.

About 2,000 troops and civilians work out of the Djibouti headquarters of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, run by Africa Command. Operation Freedom's Sentinel became the name of the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa on Jan. 1, 2015. Before that it was known as Operation Enduring Freedom from the inception of the war in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Florida National Guard relief units headed to fight al-Qaida, other terrorists ."