Following the Iranian missile attack on a military base housing US troops in Western Iraq, ABC15 has learned that Arizona National Guard members have served there and may still be in the region Tuesday night.
Citing operational security, the National Guard has not confirmed the location of the 996th Medical Company Area Support. Fifty members of that unit were deployed to the Middle East in March of 2019.
A farewell ceremony was held at Papago Park Military Reservation prior to their scheduled nine-month deployment. Photos from September, 2019 show members of the 996th at the Al Asad Airbase during a mass casualty drill.
It's unclear if they were still at the base during the missile attack. There are no reports of American casualties as of Tuesday night.
A homecoming event was scheduled to welcome them back to Arizona this week. Its unclear if the rising tensions or recent hostilities will affect those plans.
