Soldiers prepare to leave Fort Carson for Middle East

<br>(Fort Carson, Colorado-AP) -- More than 750 Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers are preparing to deploy to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt for six-month missions. <br><br>The Department of Defense

Thursday, January 9th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Fort Carson, Colorado-AP) -- More than 750 Oklahoma Army National Guard soldiers are preparing to deploy to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt for six-month missions.

The Department of Defense said the deployments are part of established Middle East operations and not part of a buildup for a possible war with Iraq.

The soldiers are part of the Army's 7th Infantry Division based at Fort Carson.