FORT DRUM — The Army announced Wednesday in a press release that preparations are under way for three units to deploy to Iraq in the fall.

Those units include the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, the 10th Sustainment Brigade and the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.

According to the press release, no formal orders have been issued by the Army yet, but post officials feel it is "prudent" to begin planning now.

"Considering all of these units will have more than 12 months' dwell time back at Fort Drum by this summer, it's a reasonable expectation they will deploy sometime in the fall," said Maj. Gen. Michael Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum. "We owe it to our soldiers, families and the community to give them as much advance time as possible to plan for these potential deployments."

Gen. Oates had said during his State of the Division address in January that he expected either the 2nd or 3rd Brigade Combat Team to be called for deployment this year.

The 3rd Brigade returned from a 16-month tour in Afghanistan in June. The 10th Sustainment Brigade and the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade returned from Afghanistan in January 2007.

If the brigades are sent overseas, they will join the 10th Mountain Division Headquarters in Iraq, which is set to deploy in May.