Over the next two months the unit will be involved in battle drills. Army warrior tasks, such as weapons qualification and reactions to IEDs, will prepare them for situations that may present themselves.

After they complete the battle drills, the unit will go to Fort Dix, N.J. in late October.

They will be there for approximately 30 days and deploy to the Middle East, possibly after Thanksgiving. The unit will carry roughly 117 troops including the original 70 guardsmen from the Dyersburg battalion.

Lt. Colonel Brad Bishop said, "The unit's primary objectives will be detainee operations and security.

"The 168th Military Police Battalion will have command control of over 1,000 soldiers from different elements of the military, including the Navy and Air Force," Bishop said.

This unit was previously the 230th Area Support Group. They were stationed in Kuwait, performing logistical support for Afghanistan and Iraq.

One half of the 168th's soldiers have been deployed before, and for some this will be their third deployment.