About 50 soldiers received a farewell from their leaders and loved ones at the Muskogee Readiness Center in Muskogee, Okla., on Monday as they prepared to deploy to the Horn of Africa for a humanitarian mission, a U.S. Army news release said.

The Oklahoma National Guard soldiers deploying are engineers set to work on infrastructure projects, including building homes and work related to plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. The soldiers are part of the 1120th Engineer Utilities Detachment, 90th Troop Command.

It will be many of the soldiers’ first deployment, the release said. But that does not mean they are unprepared.

“We’ve practiced all year,” said Capt. Addam Orsburn, the 1120th’s commander, during Monday’s ceremony. Similarly, Spc. Marshall Mack, a carpentry and masonry specialist, said “We’ve worked our job for the last year pretty solidly on what we will be doing out there,” according to the release.

“The state of Oklahoma should be proud,” Orsburn reportedly said near the end of the ceremony. “90th Troop Command should be proud. The 1120th should be proud. And I certainly am.”

Before going abroad, the soldiers will spend a few weeks in Fort Bliss, Texas, to complete their post-mobilization training. Their deployment comes as nearly 150 engineers from the New York National Guard also train at Fort Bliss for a deployment to the Horn of Africa.

They are assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. CJTF-HOA is a major part of U.S. Africa Command’s efforts to promote regional stability and counter insurgents.

previous coverage

• New York Army National Guard soldiers prepare for 10-month deployment to Africa