NATCHEZ &045; As of Tuesday, there were no plans to deploy the 50-plus soldiers of Natchez-based 155th Infantry Battalion’s Company B, according to a National Guard spokesman.

When &045; and if &045; the unit might receive word of deployment &uot;is difficult to determine,&uot; said Lt. Col. Tim Powell, a spokesman for the Mississippi Army National Guard.

&uot;It just depends on the needs of the Army,&uot; Powell said. &uot;If the commander on the ground determines they’re needed, they’ll go.&uot;

National Guard units throughout Mississippi have already been called to duty. The 40 soldiers of the Vidalia-based 1086th Transportation Company were also deployed in February and, after a brief return to visit their families, left for Fort Polk, La., on Feb. 13.