Ohio Coast Guard reserve unit heads to Middle East duty

MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) — About 60 Coast Guard reservists with an Ohio unit have deployed for service with a Navy task force in the Middle East.

Members of Port Security Unit 309 based in Port Clinton on Lake Erie left Tuesday night from the Air National Guard base in Mansfield. The unit protects ports and shipping channels.

To prepare for the deployment, reservists trained with the Navy at Coronado, Calif., and the Army at Fort Dix, N.J.

The unit has deployed in recent years for service in the Gulf of Mexico, Kuwait and Sicily.