May is going to be a very significant for members of Albert Lea’s Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 135 Infantry, 34th “Red Bull” Division of the Minnesota National Guard.

First, a project organized by a group of local volunteers called, “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon,” will serve as a farewell party for the unit which has been activated for federal overseas deployment. This event will be held on Saturday evening, May 7, at the National Guard Armory. Music will be by Bill Vosler’s Alley Katz 10-piece band.

Second, according to Sgt. Joshua Barker, Delta Company will be going to Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, on May 12 for training purposes. Then the unit returns to Albert Lea on May 28.

Third, the 100 or so members of Delta Company will be reporting to Fort McCoy, Wis., on May 31 for advanced training prior to their overseas deployment to Kuwait as part of Operation New Dawn, a part of the U.S. drawdown phase of Operation Iraq Freedom.

Barker said this will be the fourth deployment for the local unit. The first was to Afghanistan, followed by two to Kosovo.