Four hundred Virginia National Guard soldiers, including companies based in Bedford, Clifton Forge and Lexington, were called for active duty in Iraq today. New River Valley based companies could also get the call.

Soldiers from Lynchburg’s 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team were told to report for federal duty on Jan. 5. After 45 to 60 days of training at Camp Shelby, Miss., they will deploy to Iraq as a security force, according to theVirginia National Guard.

The call-up includes the Bedford and Farmville-based A Company and the Lexington and Clifton Forge-based B Company. Soldiers from the Christiansburg and Radford-based C Company and the Pulaski and Martinsville-based D Company could also be called to duty, a news release said.

The battalion’s orders call for an active duty period of up to 400 days, but the U.S. Secretary of Defense can extend the tour to as much as two years.