FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. (WHTM) -
More than 300 Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers said goodbye to their families during a deployment ceremony at Fort Indiantown Gap this morning.
Most of the soldiers, about 250, are part of the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, which will be in charge of security operations in several bases throughout Kuwait, the logistical hub for operations in the region.
The remaining soldiers are part of the 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion and are headed to Afghanistan.
Although they belong to different groups with different missions, they all shared the same emotions: sadness, because they must leave their families for a year, and pride, for their service to our country.
"I'm nervous, but overall I'm excited," Sergeant Tony Keppol of the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team said. "I feel like I belong to something bigger than myself."
"It's just something we have to do," said Captain Jason Lehr of the 2-104th General Support Aviation Battalion. "It's part of why we serve; both for the state mission and to support the country if we need to. So it comes with the territory, I guess. Part of the reason we want to go is to make a difference."
The soldiers will receive three weeks of deployment training before leaving for their nine-month missions.
The Pennsylvania National Guard is sending about 2,000 soldiers to Kuwait and Afghanistan, their largest deployment since 2009.
