Tacoma SDS

Nearly 10,000 troops from Fort Lewis will head to Iraq next year, when the post's commanding general and the rest of I Corps take over daily operations in the country and two Stryker brigades fall under its command.

Those numbers don’t include the 81st Brigade Combat Team of the Washington National Guard. Its 2,500 citizen-soldiers have their send-off ceremony in Wisconsin today and within a month will go to Kuwait and ultimately Iraq.