Soldiers from the Kalispell unit of the Montana Army National Guard's 639th Quartermaster Co. are among 150 Guard members that have been ordered to active duty.

The 639th, made up of soldiers from the Havre, Libby and Kalispell areas, is scheduled to depart to its mobilization station at Fort Lewis, Wash., next week, and will be activated for about a year in support of the Global War on Terror, according to Guard spokesman Maj. Tim Crowe.

"I don't have the breakout for the number [of soldiers' from Kalispell, but it's a significant number," Crowe said.

Local soldiers will report to the Kalispell armory on Saturday, he said.

The unit will conduct supply, fueling support and maintenance missions overseas for up to 18,000 soldiers.

It's the second time in recent years that members of the 639th will deploy overseas. Kalispell 639th members left in December 2003 and were welcomed back in March 2005 after a 15-month deployment to Iraq. A flag-waving, emotional crowd celebrated the return of more than 100 soldiers at Edwards Jet Center, then held a parade on Main Street in Kalispell.

This is the third unit from Montana that has deployed overseas within the past year to fight the war on terror.

Sixteen Montana Guard soldiers returned to the United States on Dec. 8 following a nine-month deployment with the Afghan National Army as an embedded training team.

During their time in Afghanistan they helped the Afghan Army conduct search missions for suspected Taliban munitions and provided humanitarian and medical assistance to Afghan people, delivering food and water, school supplies, shoes and soccer balls.

They also help build a school near Kabul, Crowe said.

The 143rd Military Police Co., headquartered in Belgrade, left in November for its mobilization station at Fort Dix, N.J.

The 639th was put on notice early in 2008 about the possibility of deployment. The unit conducted several home-station training exercises, Crowe said, including five weeks of training at Fort Harrison.