Le Mars guard unit called to active duty

A sendoff ceremony is planned in Le Mars on Saturday afternoon for 25 Iowa National Guard soldiers. About 160 soldiers have been ordered to active duty from Troop C, First Squadron of the 113th Cavalry based in Le Mars. The rest of the soldiers will leave from LeMars and Camp Dodge by the end of July. The first sendoff is at 1 P.M. Saturday at the LeMars Community Middle School. The 25 will first report to Fort Lewis, Washington, for training before heading to the Persian Gulf. The tour of duty could run 18 months.