HARTFORD (AP) — Members of a Connecticut Army National Guard unit left Saturday for a nearly year-long deployment in the Middle East.

About 10 soldiers from the 242nd Engineer Detachment in Niantic are traveling overseas in support of Operation Spartan Shield. They are part of a construction management team.

The deployment comes amid tensions in the Middle East following the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general last month.

The soldiers' expected responsibilities include construction management and support throughout the unit’s assigned area of operations, according to a release from the Guard.

Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont thanked the soldiers, as well as their families, for their dedication. He said he looks forward to the day when he can welcome them all safely back home.

It's the unit's second deployment since 2001. Soldiers from the detachment served in Afghanistan from 2014 to 2015.