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Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division said goodbye to family members, friends and loved ones in a ceremony held at Trinity Middle School in Washington, Pa. on Jan. 11, 2016.

(Provided by Major Edward Shank)

Nearly 100 Pennsylvania National Guard members have been sent to Kosovo, a disputed territory in southeast Europe, to provide a safe environment for the republic's citizens.

Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, departed Saturday for the yearlong multinational NATO-peacekeeping.

Brigade Commander Col. Ros Gammon said the soldiers' mission will be to provide a safe and secure environment and freedom of maneuver for the people of Kosovo.

Maj. General James Joseph, Adjutant General of the state's Department of Military Affairs and Veterans, said the soldiers will receive mobilization training in Texas and Germany before deploying overseas.

Throughout their train up, soldiers will join together with other National Guard and active-duty soldiers from around the country during the mobilization process and finally with multinational partners once they arrive in Kosovo.

"Our team will be joined by our National Guard brothers from Arizona and California. In a little over a month; our team will continue to grow as we join our active-duty brothers in Germany," Gammon said at the departure.

"Finally, in March our team will be complete when we are joined by our multinational partners from Hungary, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Austria and Armenia, just to name a few."