Sending Off Over 100 Starkville Soldiers For Deployment

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Around 170 more National Guard Soldiers were sent off for deployment from Starkville today, March 12.

It was a familiar scene for all of the send off sites.

This room at the National Guard Armory was filled with emotion, hugs, tears and smiles.

Lt. Colonel Rodney Bowman is the Battalion Commander for the 2-114th Field Artillery Regiment.

This is his third deployment and his wife was there to send him off, along with their two sons and two nephews.

This will be both of their sons’ first deployment.

“For them to deploy at the same time, it’s a whole different ball game. They’ve been gone to, when they joined the Guard and they’ve done their basic training, and they’ve done their AIT training and stuff, and that’s hard when they’re gone and you don’t have contact with them, but you know they’re okay. So, to send them off into harm’s way and to send your whole entire family, it’s a little bit different,” says wife and mother, Melinda Bowman.

“A lot of families are sad running around here, but a lot of soldiers, we’re ready to try to get to the next step. We can’t get finished until we get started, so a lot of anxiety built up for a lot of young soldiers and families right now, but we’re going to make it through today,” says Lt. Colonel Rodney Bowman.

The couple says it was a very big day for soldiers and their families and are thankful for the amount of community support during this time.

Troops will be stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas, for 60 days before heading to Kuwait.