COVINGTON, Ga. – Members of Bravo Company of the 1-121 Infantry of the Georgia Army National Guard said goodbye to family and friends Monday morning at the National Guard Armory on Carroll Street as the unit left for a deployment to Afghanistan.

Lt. Xavier Rogers said the Citizen Warriors will travel to Georgia’s Ft. Stewart for additional training before heading overseas. Rogers said this is the first deployment for a lot of members of the unit while some senior non-commissioned officers are on their fourth or fifth deployment. 

The Covington-based unit is part of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The deployment is expected to last about nine months.