About 200 members of the Alaska Air National Guard will deploy this week to Afghanistan. The airmen are with the Guard's 176th Wing, based in Anchorage.

Among those being deployed are flight crew members, maintenance specialists and support staff.

It's part of a rotating deployment that started a year ago and will continue through January. Soldiers will work in 30- or 60-day shifts, ferrying people, equipment and supplies throughout the Middle East.

About 3,500 members of Fort Richardson's 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) deployed to Afghanistan starting in February.