Approximately 100 National Guardsmen from Company C 1st Battalion of the 118th Infantry will be voluntarily deploying to Afghanistan after the first of the year, said Lt. Col. Pete Brooks of the S.C. National Guard.

The soldiers will be honored as grand marshals in the Gaffney Christmas Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, in downtown Gaffney.

The troops will be training the Afghanistan army during their year-long deployment. For some of the soldiers, this will be a return trip to Afghanistan.

Before they depart, they will undergo training at Camp Shelby, Miss.