ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) – As many as 3,600 soldiers from the 98th Army Reserve Division could be headed to Iraq, according to an internal Army document.

The document, obtained by the Daily Star of Oneonta, stated that all the Rochester-based division’s soldiers may be ordered to the Middle East.

“We need to plan for the entire 98th (Division) to be mobilized to execute this mission and for soldiers to be away from their civilian responsibilities for 18 to 24 months,” the document states. “Commanders at all levels should … eliminate those activities which are not related to (mobilization) from their training schedules,” it said.

The paper was authorized by Maj. Gen. Bruce Robinson, the division’s commander.

Maj. Joseph Friedman, public affairs officer for the 98th Division, told the newspaper Wednesday that between 500 and 700 reservists will be in Iraq in September to train part of the Iraqi army. The 98th has members from New York, New Jersey and New England.

Friedman said a general announcement was sent out to everyone in the division, but they did not get an order for final mobilization before deployment. He said the mission should take about a year, but reservists might need to stay longer.

The deployment, Friedman said, will be mainly soldiers in the division’s first and second brigades – most of whom are drill sergeants who would train Iraqis. The 98th contains eight brigades.

He said Thursday that division commanders haven’t decided exactly who will be going to Iraq. A small survey team is already in the Middle East.

A spokesman for the division didn’t immediately return a call for comment Thursday night.

AP-ES-07-09-04 0556EDT