The Department of Defense announced Thursday the upcoming deployment of the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The Vanguard Brigade is expected to depart their home station in February for a nine-month deployment as part of the International Security and Assistance Force under the command of Regional Command – East.

The team of approximately 2,200 soldiers has been training for this mission since July, including a month-long mission readiness exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., in November.