By Sara Strong and Lori EhdeLocal National Guard members are on alert, waiting to see if or when they’ll be activated, leaving homes, jobs and families behind.Dave Haugom, owner of Print Express, is one of 46 local guardsmen bracing for deployment."Our dates keep getting juggled around. … There are no solid dates. Until you get your dates, you’re on alert," Haugom said.Although the term "alert" means action is impending, the troops aren’t ready to march off quite yet. When that happens, they will be "activated."So far, the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — with a unit in Luverne — knows it could be activated sometime next month to Europe as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.Haugom said, "There’s a chance I could get called next week and be told someone else is going in my place, but every guardsman I know is making arrangements."When they are activated, duties in Europe would include security-type missions at U.S. bases.The options for guardsmen locations are United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium or Turkey. Before they go to Europe, they would train further for security duties at U.S. bases.According to the public information office of the Minnesota National Guard Office , there is a chance local troops won’t be mobilized, even though they’re on alert.
