229th MP Company conducts departure ceremony for service in Iraq -- August 3, 2009

Soldiers from the Virginia National Guard’s Virginia Beach-based 229th Military Police Company took part in a departure ceremony Aug. 3 at the State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach. The ceremony marked the official start of the unit’s federal active duty service to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and approximately 150 Soldiers are deploying with the scheduled mission of training Iraqi police forces. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine addressed the Soldiers and spent time after the ceremony meeting members of the unit and their families.