Troops Depart From Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It was emotional.

Families and friends were at the Columbus armory to send off loved ones.

35 bags in the trailer, and 35 men on the bus.

For these soldiers, this will be the last time they see home for over a year.

“It’s emotional. It’s emotional,” said SPC. Johnson Washington. “It’s a sad moment, especially when you’re having a going away party and all your family is there and everybody just want to cry or hug on you. It’s emotional.”

Two months ago, we spoke with 2nd Lieutenant, Brandon Berry about preparing for this kind of deployment.

The time in-between has passed quickly.

“These last couple of days, especially yesterday, starts to hit you home, realizing you’re in your last couple of hours, not days anymore or weeks, of time to spend with them,” said Berry.

“I guess it was especially sitting in church yesterday morning. We got to thinking, you know, that was the last time for a year that we get to sit as a family,” said Casey Berry, Brandon’s wife.

Berry’s wife Casey, wiping tears from her eyes, said she and her husband have prepared for this deployment.

“We have a great support system and family and friends. It’s going to be OK,” said C. Berry.

The bus took these soldiers to Jackson, and from there, a one way flight to Fort Bliss, Texas for additional training.

“…probably going through a little more lanes, getting a little more familiar with what we’re actually going to be doing and then we’ll go from there,” said SPC Jose Tate.

Already, this group trained together for some time.

“We’ve got a mixed crew of experienced and young men that this is going to be some of their first deployments, so it’s going to be something different for them,” said Berry.

No matter the experience, these 35 feel ready for what’s ahead.

“We’re all one family,” said Tate. “You give me 100%, and everybody’s got your back. That’s how we feel; that’s the motto.”

With technology, family members will at least be able to keep in contact with loved ones.

“We have FaceTime, I can send pictures every day, Skype, there’s so many ways to communicate nowadays that it will definitely make time pass by and make it a lot easier,” said C. Berry.

With that, these soldiers and thousands more are sent off to defend our country.

For certain, we know Kuwait is one of the countries this deployment involves.

These soldiers will return next summer.