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Sam Penrod ReportingMore Utah guardsmen are on their way in the fight against terrorism. Today, 120-members of the Utah National Guard left for a deployment to Afghanistan.
It's always tough on families to send soldiers overseas, especially when they are going to a danger zone, but the soldiers say they are looking forward to their tour of duty.
1st Lt. Mike Austin: "This is my first deployment. I had a little stint in the Louisana, but this is the first time I'll be mobilized overseas."
There were plenty of signs and hugs for the soldiers as they got ready to depart. Each of them was greeted by the Governor and the General of the Utah National Guard as they boarded the plane.
The soldiers from the I Corp based at Camp Williams, is a deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Utah soldiers will work directly with those in the Afghan Army to make them better soldiers.
Col. Jerry Acton, Utah National Guard: "These soldiers have already completed basic training and the basic soldier skills. Now we are teaching them to fight as a unit with tactical missions, help them plan and execute missions, and also do follow-up and show them how to do things better, and ultimately leave that army so they can work on their own and not require assistance of the United States or other coalition forces."
The troops flew to Camp Shelby in Mississippi this afternoon. They will be there for the next two months in training and then they will head to Afghanistan for their mission. They are expected to actually be in Afghanistan for one year, so this will end up being about a 14-month deployment.
