ALPENA — Michigan National Guardsmen will deploy to the Middle East, the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced in a news release on Tuesday.

About 150 soldiers assigned to the Michigan Army National Guard 1436th Engineer Company, based in Montague, gathered with their families in Montague on Saturday as the guardsmen prepared for deployment.

The guardsmen will construct parking lots, hangars, housing, and other military facilities while deployed for up to a year.

The news release did not specify where the Michigan guardsmen will be stationed or their date of travel.