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1,500 Idaho soldiers headed for Iraq
Drew Myklegard is spending his spring weekends putting in new floors and replacing the hot water heater in his Boise home.
He's also spending time with his family - a wife and their two sons, 2 years old and 1 month old.
Myklegard, a first lieutenant in the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, wants his home and family prepared before he deploys to Iraq later this year.
"I'm trying to knock out stuff around the house and make sure everything is ready to go," said Myklegard. "We're taking longer vacations and having more dinners out."
The Department of Defense said Monday that it will send 2,700 members of the 116th into Iraq as part of "Operation New Dawn," a new name given to the conflict by the Obama administration to reflect the reduced role U.S. troops will play.
About 1,500 of the soldiers are from Idaho. Others are from Montana and Oregon.