More than 30 Florida Army National Guard soldiers from the Avon Park National Guard Armory’s Bravo Battery will join other members of their battalion and deploy overseas this week, and the public is invited to a 4 p.m. send-off celebration Thursday.

The departure ceremony will be at the Highlands Today Center at the Highlands County Fairgrounds, 781 Magnolia Ave. in Sebring. Two days later, the battalion will deploy from Plant City for Camp Shelby in Mississippi. The 3rd Battalion, 116th Field Artillery unit will then ship out for a nine-month tour in Qatar.