PIQUA — Families gathered Thursday to say goodbye to dozens of soldiers who are preparing for deployment to the Middle East.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, about 160 members of the Ohio Army National Guard’s 1487th Transportation Company based in Piqua are deploying to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Spartan Shield.
A call to duty ceremony was held Thursday at Piqua High School.
“A little nervous, but mostly excited,” Specialist Connor Clark told News Center 7’s Amber Jenkins. “It’s going to be an opportunity to see stuff I haven’t seen before and go where very few people have yet to see.”
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These Ohio Army National Guard soldiers will leave their families behind for almost a year.
For some soldiers, this is their first deployment.
“We have soldiers in our unit who have gone on before,” said Specialist Zachary James Walker. “So, I’ve been asking them questions and trying to get as much information as I can.”
Jenkins says Walker is a specialist in driving large military vehicles. As he says goodbye to his parents and girlfriend, he shows them what he will be doing during his deployment.
“I’m excited. We’ve been training for a long time for this,” he said.
The Fourth of July will be the last holiday that Walker will spend with his family before his year-long deployment.
His sacrifice is missing out on memories.
“I miss a lot of birthdays; actually, most of my family’s birthdays are in July,” said Walker. “So, I’ll be leaving around the time.”
Jenkins reports that soldiers will have about 30 days before heading overseas.
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