In the largest call-up since World War II, thousands of Western Washington National Guard troops received orders Thursday to head to Iraq. Meanwhile, soldiers from the Stryker Brigade got a formal send-off at Fort Lewis.

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The Washington National Guard's 81st Armor Brigade will be mobilized Nov. 15 for action in Iraq.

More than 3,200 of the 4,000 soldiers in the brigade are based in Washington state.

Governor Locke said it is the largest deployment of Washington service personnel since World War II.

The brigade has two tank battalions, a mechanized infantry battalion, engineers, support troops, artillery and an intelligence company. It was put on alert in September.

Meanwhile, soldiers from the first Stryker Brigade will start leaving Fort Lewis for Iraq next week.

A departure ceremony for about 4,000 soldiers was held Thursday at the Army base.

The brigade -- the Third Brigade, Second Infantry -- will be deployed for a year.

This is the first mission for a brigade built around the fast-moving eight-wheel Stryker vehicles. They can go faster than 60 miles per hour and carry 11 soldiers.

The brigade's 300 Strykers were loaded on ships at Tacoma and are already in transit.