Deployment ceremony for D.C. Guard's 1946th Support Detachment at the Armory 10 a.m. Tuesday

DC National Guard's 1946th Support Detachment is a contracting support element. The unit will deploy four soldiers in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Two will deploy to Afghanistan and two will deploy to Qatar.

The detachment's mission is to perform contracting support in a contingency environment. They have been training for the deployment for about a year.

Contracting is a critical support element to the modern-day battlefield. The contracting mission is to provide purchasing support for requirements such as language translation services, barricades, construction equipment and supplies that often fall outside of the U.S. military supply system.

The deployment ceremony honors the members of the 1946th Support Detachment deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.) is scheduled to speak during the ceremony.