GREENFIELD — A local police officer is among a group of soldiers with the Indiana Army National Guard set to deploy to Afghanistan in a few weeks.
Greenfield Police Department officer Caleb Freeman and about 30 other military police soldiers with the 939th Military Police Detachment left Indianapolis on Saturday en route to Fort Bliss in Texas.
There, the unit will receive additional training before deploying to Afghanistan, Sgt. First Class Jeff Lawry of the Indiana National Guard said.
The detachment will provide policing and customs support while overseas, Lawry said.
Freeman and his fellow guardsmembers were honored in a departure ceremony Saturday at the 38th Infant-ry Division headquarters in Indianapolis.
Police chief John Jester said Freeman has been with the department for about four years.
It is not uncommon for his officers to be enlisted in the military or have prior military training, Jester said.
Even though the occasional deployments can leave him short-staffed, Jester said he always is supportive when his officers wear more than one uniform.
“This is obviously a huge sacrifice for them to make,” Jester said.
Freeman will go on military leave from the department during the deployment.
His police benefits and pay will be put on hold while his military compensation applies, Jester said.