Maj. Gen. Thaddeus J. Martin, the adjutant general and commanding officer of the Connecticut National Guard, announced Sunday that 90 soldiers from the 143rd Regional Support Group and the 192nd Military Police had left Bradley International Airport Sunday morning for further training in Texas.

The units will then deploy for tours of duty expected to last nine to 12 months in Afghanistan and Cuba.

About 35 soldiers of the 143rd RSG will provide command, control and administration support at a base in Afghanistan. The Niantic-based 192nd Military Police will deploy approximately 55 soldiers to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

“Deploying two units simultaneously is no easy task, especially when the missions are so different,” said Martin. “This is a testament to the hard work and training these units have done to ready themselves to be successful.”

He said the RSG’s deployment is unprecedented, as it was alerted less than two months prior to its mobilization. Traditionally, National Guard units have 18 to 24 months to prepare for a mission.

This is the third deployment for the RSG in support of anti-terrorism operations. In 2004, the unit deployed to Baghdad to support the U.S. Embassy. In 2009, portions of the unit served as logistical advisers to the Iraqi Army at multiple locations. The 192nd Military Police unit is preparing for its second deployment in six years, after a 2009 mission to Iraq.