New York National Guard troops depart for Afghanistan mission Published Aug. 12, 2014 By Courtesy Asset New York National Guard LATHAM, N.Y -- Twenty-five New York Army National Guard Soldiers from New York City, assigned to the 37th Finance Detachment, have left the U.S. as the unit deploys to Afghanistan this week. The Soldiers, based at the Lexington Avenue Armory in Manhattan, mobilized May 27 after completing their two-week annual training and completed pre-deployment training over the last 30 days at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The detachment is part of the New York Army National Guard's 27th Finance Company. A finance detachment helps Soldiers resolve military pay issues, disburses funds to pay contractors or to finance civic aid projects, and maintains financial information for Army units in their area. The unit held farewell ceremonies for families at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on June 7. The detachment previously deployed to Iraq for 10 months in 2009 and 2010. In 2003, the 37th Finance Detachment mobilized for two years and conducted finance operations at Fort Drum, New York, and Fort Dix, New Jersey. The Soldiers are expected back in the U.S. in the spring of 2015.