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Tonya Papanikolas ReportingAn emotional goodbye for Army Reserve soldiers leaving for the Middle East today. Twenty-one soldiers from the 395th Finance Battalion are heading to Kuwait.
From there, some will be sent out in teams to do special projects in Iraq and Qatar.
Many of the soldiers had children. Some had recently been married. So it was hard to part with their families.
And they'll be gone for awhile. They'll be spending four months training at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin before they'll fly to Kuwait.
In all, they'll be gone about a year and a half.
Spouses and family members wrapped their arms around their soldiers today and held on tight. As the tears flowed, they spent their last minutes expressing how much they loved one another.
Brittany Von Arx, Wife of Deployed Soldier: "It's hard. You can't say that it's easy, you know."
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you don't know what to expect. For 90-percent of the unit, this is their first deployment.
Sgt. Christy Wallace, Deploying Overseas: "I was waiting to be called up and I hadn't been called up yet, so I volunteered to go."
Some expressed both nervousness and excitement at the mission.
Private 1st Class Nathan Siebach, Deploying Overseas: "A little excited just because it will be a new experience. Great experience to grow and learn from. Nervous, of course, because of just being away from family."
Once overseas, the unit will be handling any financial problems soldiers may have in the Middle East. They'll also help negotiate contract deals with local vendors.
Specialist Nick Day: "We're there to support all the other troops that are over there defending everyone else's freedom, trying to help other people out."
Though they may not be directly in the line of fire, they'll still be working in a combat zone. Family members say they worry, but they're also proud.
Felice Siebach, Wife of Deployed Soldier: "I'm very proud of him and everyone that goes over there."
Brenda Siebach, Mother of Deployed Soldier: "Our country is important to us. We're proud that he has a desire to serve and support our country."
Before they boarded the bus, Col. Neal Black encouraged the troops.
"I wish you all the luck in the world. Come back safe."
Then it was one last goodbye, and time to load up.
As the bus pulled away, the group waved, sending the soldiers off with hearts full of faith.
This isn't the only group from the 395th to head to Kuwait and Iraq. Two other detachments left last month, and the final two groups will be leaving on Tuesday.
