50 Minn. soldiers going to Afghanistan

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) -- More than 200 people turned out in St. Cloud to send off about 50 soldiers who are deploying to Afghanistan.

The C Company 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion of the Minnesota National Guard is an air ambulance company and will provide medical evacuation support with its UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.

The ceremony for the 53 soldiers was Friday at the St. Cloud Army Aviation Support Facility. They will be deployed for a year.

Many are being deployed for a second, third or fourth time.

It's the second deployment for Sgt. Anthony Mastro of Zimmerman. He served in 2009 in Iraq. He tells the St. Cloud Times his two children are older and understand what the deployment means, so it will be harder on them.

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