By Bill Lawson
Stephens Media

LITTLE ROCK — An Army Reserve brigade headquartered in North Little Rock has received notice it is being activated to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The 90th Sustainment Brigade is scheduled to hold a deployment ceremony next week at the State House Convention Center in Little Rock, according to Gary Hawkins, a public affairs specialist for the 90th.

More than 300 soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Fort Hood, Texas, for training in preparation for their overseas mission, Hawkins said. The training will cover convoy operations, weapons qualifications, cultural awareness and job-specific training.

Citing security concerns after a deadly shooting at an Army recruiting office in west Little Rock last month, Hawkins said the brigade’s commander did not want to be more specific about the units involved within the 90th and their locations or the date of the deployment ceremony.

Overseas, the 90th’s mission is providing logistical support to units in their assigned area of operation for a period of one year.

The brigade was created last September at its headquarters at Camp Pike as a logistical command and control structure to replace the 90th Regional Readiness Command, which was decommissioned.

Hawkins said his commanders did not want to comment on the total brigade strength or the locations of its subordinate units. Brigades can range in size but usually contain about 3,000 troops.