An Ohio Air National Guard unit that specializes in combat communications may be called to active duty for the U.S. war on terrorism.

        The 251st Combat Communications Group, based at Springfield Airport, about 75 miles northeast of Cincinnati, received authorization to mobilize Tuesday, according to unit spokeswoman Maj. Ann Coghlin.

        “The unit is ready and awaiting further orders,” Maj. Coghlin said of the 44-member unit.

        Meanwhile, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky., have been deployed within the continental United States, officials at the post said Tuesday.

        The number of soldiers deployed was described as “small.” Citing security reasons, the Army declined to release the size of the element, its destination, routes or mode of transportation.

        The 101st is based at Fort Campbell along the Tennessee border, 50 miles north of Nashville. The division is trained to be deployed anywhere in the world within 36 hours.

        The Springfield unit is the fourth Guard or reserve unit from Ohio, all of them air units, to be activated or mobilized since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

        The mobilization order puts the Springfield unit two steps away from being shipped out domestically or overseas for the war President Bush has declared against international terrorism.

        Saturday, 424 members of the Ohio National Guard's 121st Air Refueling Wing based at Rickenbacker Airport near Columbus received mobilization orders.

        Also authorized to mobilize are 211 Air Force reservists who will be assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.

        On Monday, reservists of the 445th Airlift wing at Wright-Patterson were called up for active duty.

        The 251st Combat Communications Group, given authorization to mobilize Tuesday, is trained in communications and air-traffic control. “They are the planners,” Maj. Coghlin said of the 251st.

        The unit was last deployed to Hungary in 1996 as part of the U.S. peacekeeping mission in Bosnia.

        The Associated Press contributed.
       

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