Families bid tearful goodbyes as Utah soldiers deploy to Afghanistan


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CAMP WILLIAMS — Tough moments for some Utah families Tuesday as they bid farewell to their soldiers heading to Afghanistan.

The 115th Engineer Facilities Detachment will set the stage for American troops to pull out of Afghanistan. They'll spend about a year in the country helping with the transition as daily operations are turned over to the locals.

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These men are all engineers — a sort of public works department of the military. They'll spend most of their deployment training the people of Afghanistan.

"They bring a very unique capability," said Lt. Col. Hank McIntire.

The small group and their families gathered at Camp Williams Tuesday for the tough goodbye. As time came for the soldiers to load the bus, loved ones scrambled for one last hug and kiss.

Patrick Carucci is the group's captain. While some have been to the Middle East before, this is the first time they've deployed to Afghanistan together.

"We're there to make sure they have a foothold to stand on when we pull out in 2014," he said. "We will be assisting the Afghan National Police and the Afghan National Army in the facilities management role."


You pin medals on the soldiers, but the families are the ones that make the sacrifices.

–Lt. Col. Hank McIntire


Though their work is important, it doesn't make the goodbyes any easier.

"We just had a newborn so it's going to be kind of hard," Carucci said.

Mothers and children are left to cope.

"I really think it's tougher for the families," McIntire said.

For one girl, a set of dog tags will remind her of her father.

"You pin medals on the soldiers, but the families are the ones that make the sacrifices," said McIntire. "The family left behind has an awful hole that's been left behind by that service member."

The group of thirteen men expects to be in Afghanistan for about a year. That could become longer, depending on how the transition goes as our troops prepare to leave the country.

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Mike Anderson

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