For the third time since 2005, Oakwood City Manager Stan Brown has been deployed for a tour of duty in Iraq as a U.S. Air Force reservist.

A lieutenant colonel, Brown is a reservist with the 628th Civil Engineer squadron at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta.

As part of his duties in Iraq, he will lead a team providing engineering and project management support for the U.S. Army.

Brown and his reserve unit are completing pre-deployment training in Fort McCoy, Wis. He leaves for Iraq later this month and is not expected to return to the U.S. until early next summer.

During his past two deployments, Brown served in Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan in central Asia. His last deployment in Kyrgyzstan took place in fall 2006 and lasted about three months.

Brown, who couldn’t be reached for comment, has served as Oakwood’s city manager since January 2004.

Assistant City Manager Patti Doss-Luna will serve as acting city manager in Brown’s absence. A longtime city employee, she has filled in as city manager during Brown’s previous two military deployments.

However, Brown won’t lose complete touch of city business.

Doss-Luna said Monday that she and Brown likely will communicate through e-mails during his deployment.

Brown will help Doss-Luna with special projects and other assignments, working eight to 12 hours per week.

The city will pay for the work "more from an hourly standpoint versus a salary standpoint," Doss-Luna said. "And (Brown’s work) is going to be on an as-needed basis and as he’s available."

Also, "engineering consultants currently under contract with the city will assist ... with project management and development plan review work normally handled by the city manager," she said.

All in all, "we shouldn’t have any problems at all," she added.

Brown will be able to access his computer system so that "anything we’ve got going on, he can still look at it and review," Doss-Luna said.

"We’re proud of (Brown). He’s a great city manager," she said. "We’re going to be praying for him every day for his safe return."

Mayor Lamar Scroggs echoed those sentiments.

"We salute Stan for his brave service to our country," he said. "I ask everyone to keep him in your prayers until the day that he safely returns home to us."