Astros to Host On-Field Official Army Deployment Ceremony on July 18

HOUSTON, TX - On Saturday, July 18, the Houston Astros and the Astros Foundation will host over 300 military members and their families, as they conduct an on-field official deployment ceremony for Texas National Guard 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion prior to that day's 6:10 p.m. contest vs. the Texas Rangers. This marks the first ever deployment ceremony in Texas to take place at a major sporting event.

This deployment will be the first for the 136th Expeditionary Signal Battalion. The soldiers will depart for Fort Hood for another round of training, and then on to Kuwait and six other countries. The Houston-based signal battalion's mission will be to provide communications capabilities to other deployed units across seven countries, including Kuwait, Jordan, The United Arab Emirates and Egypt.

In addition to the Casing of the Colors on-field ceremony, the soldiers will take part in a mobilization ceremony in Union Station Lobby beginning at 3:00 p.m. The soldiers and their families will also receive tickets to that night's Astros vs. Rangers game free of charge. This night will mark the last one these soldiers will have with their families before they are deployed for approximately nine months.

Both the Astros vs. Rangers pregame ceremony and 6:10 p.m. contest will be broadcast overseas for our troops on the Armed Forces Network (AFN) with support from ROOT SPORTS and MLB. Fans will not only enjoy another great matchup in the chase for the Silver Boot, but will also be a part of creating a special memory for these soldiers and their families. For ticket information, please visit www.astros.com/tickets or call 1-877-9ASTROS.

Saturday's deployment ceremony is part of the Astros continuing effort to support and honor our nation's military.