NEW YORK -- The Pentagon has ordered roughly half of New Jersey's Army National Guard to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan next year--marking the largest deployment for the state's Guard since World War II.

Governor Corzine is expected to give details about the deployment in a press conference Thursday.

Watch: Half Of N.J. National Guard To Deploy

A full combat brigade of New Jersey guardsmen, more than 3,000 soldiers, received their orders over the weekend.

They are part of a Defense Department rotation of eight National Guard units from across the country who will replace active duty troops fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Training, expected at least initially at Fort Dix in central New Jersey, will begin no later than next summer.

State senator and former acting Gov. Dick Codey said all of New Jersey will feel the impact of the large deployment.

"They should pray for these men and women who are going into battle," Codey said. "You're talking about thousands of families that are affected by this."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is on record saying citizen soldiers should serve on duty no longer than 12 months, including training -- unlike active duty troops who are now on 15-month deployments. That means time in a war zone for the guardsmen might be as little as eight or nine months.

However, units of the New Jersey and New York National Guard who were in Iraq last year were among the first soldiers to have their tours extended to 15 months as part of President George W. Bush's surge strategy last winter.

Codey said long tours disrupt lives.

"What's going to happen to their kids? Their kids' tuition? Mortgage payments?" he said. "The salaries certainly don't match. These are volunteers now being thrown into battle."

This would be the largest deployment of New Jersey guardsmen to Iraq since the war began four and a half years ago.