ST. CLOUD -- A group of St. Cloud-based Minnesota National Guard members is returning home this weekend from an overseas deployment.

More than 60 National Guard Aviators from the B Company, 1st General Support Aviation Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment are on their way back to Minnesota following a deployment to Kuwait and Iraq.

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The unit left the United States in February of 2021 and provided aerial movement of troops and supplies as well as combat service and support while overseas as part of Operations Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield.

The same unit was previously deployed in 2006, 2011, and 2016 to support Operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, and Enduring Freedom.

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