Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers with Alpha Company and the associated detachments of the 1-168th General Support Aviation Battalion get ready at the Joint Mobility Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to depart for a nine-month long deployment to the Middle East, March 7, 2021. The Soldiers departed late at night on Sunday and will spend approximately a few months mobilizing in Ft. Hood, Texas, before they reach their final destination. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Grace Nechanicky)