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In just a couple month, nearly 2,400 members of the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Infantry Division Red Bulls will be shipping out to Kuwait as part of the U.S. drawdown phase in Iraq.

When soldiers find out they may deploy to a war zone, leaving their affairs at home in order for themselves and their loved ones becomes a top priority. For one soldier from Dodge Center, the uncertainty of a deployment meant scrambling to plan his bride’s dream wedding, in less than a week.

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Camp Ripley, Minn. — Between now and late May, 2,700 men and women of Minnesota’s 1st Brigade, 34th Infantry Division will complete dozens of intensive training exercises in preparation for a spring 2011 deployment to Iraq and Kuwait.

This deployment will be the largest Minnesota National Guard deployment since World War II. It’s expected to last one year.