About 50 members of the Columbus-based 684th Medical Company are scheduled to deploy to the Middle East on Saturday, Sept. 26, for a mission focused on medical support and evacuation, according to the Ohio Adjutant General’s office. The Ohio Army National Guard soldiers will serve in the U.S. Central Command area, which stretches from Egypt to Kazakhstan, in support of Operation Spartan Shield. The operation is intended to bolster defense relationships in the region and has maintained a U.S. presence there since 2012. The deployment is not directly connected to the war in Iran, officials said. Operation Spartan Shield predates that conflict and is described as a stability operation rather than a combat mission. Military spouses have said troops assigned to the operation are not expected to enter active war zones unless a conflict creates a need for their support. A call-to-duty ceremony for the soldiers is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. The Guard has not provided a deployment duration in the information released. The 684th Medical Company was organized in 1921 in Westerville and moved its home base to Columbus in 2007. The unit has served in World War II and in Iraq and Afghanistan during the War on Terrorism.