NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER, FORT IRWIN, Calif. " New York Army National Guard Soldiers from Battery A, 1st Battalion, 258th Field Artillery Regiment from New Windsor, N.Y., perform an exercise gun fire drill on their M119A2 howitzer here Oct. 16. The NTC training rotation, through late October, provides Soldiers from the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team with a realistic, demanding training environment. The exercise stresses leaders, Soldiers and staffs in a simulated combat environment. The Soldiers are training here as part of the unit’s preparations for mobilization and deployment to Afghanistan with the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in early 2012. About 1,500 of the Soldiers are currently scheduled to deploy.

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