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SALT LAKE CITY -- Hundreds of family and friends said goodbye Saturday to soldiers from the Utah National Guard's 144th Area Support Medical Company.
The group of 80 soldiers was deployed from the Utah Air National Guard base for a 12-month tour in Afghanistan.
It was a lot of mixed emotions for the soldiers at Saturday's farewell. Sadness when saying goodbye, but also excitement for the job that lies ahead.
To the sound of a military band, soldiers from the 144th Area Support Medical Company said goodbye.
"I don't think it's quite hit me yet that I am leaving," said Spc. Chelsea Jones.
Most of the soldiers in this group are from Utah, 38 different cities to be exact. They're doctors, nurses and other medical specialists who will put their knowledge to use in Bagram, Afghanistan.
"There are two roles that we play. One is that we do sick call which is your basic day to day stuff which is family practice kind of medicine," said Capt. David Stefl. "The second thing is emergency medicine, where we take care of soldiers that are injured that are on the front lines and in the battlefield."
Pfc. Marshal Hansen is a blood collection specialist from Aurora, Utah. He's been working for the Red Cross and says this is his first deployment.
"I thought this would be the best experience for me, to go out and do the best I can and save some lives in the battlefield," Hansen said.
This is also the first deployment for Spc. Caleb Harbin from Ogden. He leaves behind his 2-year-old daughter and pregnant wife.
"The day comes and you have to just take it all in stride," he said.
These soldiers also said goodbye to one of their own Saturday -- Spc. Kyle Palmer. Palmer was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma about a month ago.
"I was really looking forward to it," Palmer said. "I was excited when they first told me I could deploy."
His comrades say it will be hard to leave him behind.
"It sucks not having him with us, but we got our little poster of him and we will be keeping in touch," said Pfc. Brent Thacker.
Thacker is in charge of Palmer's picture, which he proudly carried onto the plane Saturday. Palmer stood in the crowd and watched, then said goodbye along with everyone else.
The soldiers are headed to Fort Lewis, Wash. for the next 30 days. They'll spend that time preparing for their assignment, then it's off to Afghanistan.
E-mail: spark@ksl.com
